Nepal's Historic First T20 WC Win! Airee, Kami Stun Scotland in Thriller

This is Nepal's first win at the T20 World Cup in 12 attempts, and left Scotland, the last-minute replacements for Bangladesh, ruing the missed opportunity. They had lost all their matches in the 2024 edition.

Airee hammered an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls, smashing four boundaries and three maximums and with vital contributions from Kushal Bhurtel (43 off 35), Aasif Sheikh (33 off 27) and Kushal Jha (24 not out off 17), helped Nepal race to a memorable victory in their final league match.

Nepal fought back in the last five overs in both innings. They first applied the brakes on Scotland with the ball when the European team was looking like cruising to a massive total and restricted them to 170/7. Then with the bat, they came back roaring from 98/3 in the 14th over, hammering 75 runs in the last six overs with Airee smashing four fours and three sixes while Jha struck one four and two sixes when it mattered the most as Nepal reached 173/3 in 19.2 overs to secure their maiden T20 World Cup win.

Chasing 171, Bhurtel and Aasif Shaikh provided Nepal a good start as they raised 74 runs for the first-wicket partnership. Bhurtel was very aggressive as he struck one four and two sixes off Mark Watt in the fifth over. They ended the power-play with 56 for no loss.

But they suffered a wobble, losing Bhurtel, Sheikh and skipper Rohit Paudel (16) in quick succession, all three falling to off-spinner Michael Leask, who bowled a brilliant three-over spell for 3-9 before Airee smashed 20 runs in his last over to make it 3-30.

Just when it was looking like Nepal would falter again, Airee and Jha launched a sensational attack on the Scotland bowling and ensured they went home from their second T20 World Cup with a memorable win.

Scotland had their chances, but Nepal showed better nerves and fought back gallantly to pull off a victory that will make it a part of the annals of their sports history as one of the best.

Earlier, Sompal Kami led Nepal's first comeback with the ball as he claimed three wickets, including two in three balls, as they restricted Scotland, cruising at 130/1 in the 15th over and looking at a total in excess of 180, to 170/7.

Michael Jones had hammered a superb 71 to give Scotland a great start, but Nepal made a brilliant comeback to turn things over.

Jones struck eight fours and two sixes in his 45-ball knock and shared vital partnerships -- 80 for the opening wicket with George Munsey, and 52 for the second with Brandon McMullen as Scotland were cruising towards a score in excess of 180, as their bowlers failed to take advantage of opting to bowl first.

Jones gave Scotland a great start as he and George Munsey raised 80 runs for the first-wicket partnership. After two quiet overs at the start, Jones exploded into action with a four and a six off Airee in the third. He punched square and steered behind point back-to-back deliveries from Nandan Yadav to the fence and continued the double act with two fours off Kami in the fifth over.

Jones unleashed shots all around the ground, cutting, driving, punching and steering the ball as the Nepal pacers struggled to hit the hard length.

Jones, who brought his fifty off 31 balls (6x4, 2x6), and Brandon McMullen raised 52 runs for the second wicket, with Jones hitting Lamichhane for a boundary and hammering Kushal Bhurtel for a four and six.

But just when it looked like Scotland were cruising to a massive score, Nepal reeled them in, with Sompal Kami applying the brakes with two wickets in three balls, castling Jones (71) from round the wicket with a slower one and then plucking a sensational one-handed reflex catch off his own bowling to send McMullan (25, 19 b, 1x4, 1x1).

Nepal continued to pull things down and restricted them to a defendable total. Kami was the best bowler for Nepal with 3-25 while Nandan Yadav bagged 2-34 in the backend of the innings.

Brief scores:

Scotland 170/7 in 20 overs (Michael Jones 71, George Munsey 27; Sompal Kami 3-25, Nandan Yadav 2-34) lost to Nepal 171/3 in 19.2 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 50 not out, Kushal Bhurtel 43, Aasif Sheikh 33; Michael Leask 3-30) by seven wickets

- IANS