By Admin 
Nepal gave such a performance on the stage of T20 World Cup, which proved that it is no longer just an associate team. Nepal came very close to victory against the former world champion team like England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the match remained completely open till the last over. Even though the result went in favor of England, the biggest story of this match was Nepal’s fearless cricket.
England’s strong score
Batting first after the toss, England scored 184 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs. Captain Harry Brook took the responsibility and played an inning of 53 runs, while Jacob Bethel also scored 55 runs to put the team in a strong position. Looking at the scoreboard, it seemed that England would easily win the match, but Nepal had other intentions.
Nepal changed the environment
The Nepal team, which set out to chase the target of 185 runs, showed aggressive thinking from the very beginning. Captain Rohit Paudel gave a great start to the team by scoring 39 runs. Kushal Bhurtel added a quick 29 runs, while Dipendra Singh Airey’s inning of 44 runs created panic in the England camp. Nepal’s supporters were also present in large numbers in the stadium.
Dream broken in the last over
The most exciting moment of the match came in the last over, when Nepal needed only 10 runs to win. Here Sam Curran of England showed his experience and gave only 4 runs while bowling brilliantly. Nepal team stopped at 180 runs and lost the match by 4 runs. However, instead of celebrating the victory, it forced England to heave a sigh of relief.
Praise from veterans, big offer from Dale Steyn
This performance of Nepal is being appreciated everywhere. Yuvraj Singh said, “Heartfelt respect to the Nepal team. They did not bow down in front of a giant team like England, they stood firm in the fight till the last ball and proved what courage and confidence can do. This is how teams become mature and from here the future champions emerge. Today the entire cricket world is watching you.”
Whereas R Ashwin has described Nepal as the strongest among the emerging teams. While Irfan Pathan said, “The result may not have been as desired, but the direction is absolutely right. Nepal has clearly shown that their team is on the right path and putting a powerful team like England under pressure is a big achievement in itself.”
The most special reaction among all this was that of Dale Steyn. Who while offering coaching to Nepal said that this team is continuously moving upwards.
Next challenge West Indies
Nepal will now face West Indies on 15 February. After the performance against England, it is clear that Nepal will not shy away from any major upset in this match also.