MUMBAI: England clung on to beat Nepal by four runs in a last-ball thriller in Mumbai on Sunday and avoid one of the biggest upsets in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup.

Chasing an imposing 185 to win, Nepal’s Lokesh Bam, who had bludgeoned a brave 39 off 19 balls to give his side a sniff of a famous win, needed a six off the final delivery bowled by Sam Curran but could only manage a single at the Wankhede Stadium.

It was a breathless and agonising end to a valiant run chase by the cricketing minnows, who put England’s premier bowlers Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid to the sword.

Jacob Bethell (55) and Harry Brook (53) scored quick fifties for England but it was a late cameo by Will Jacks that took them to 184-7 in the Group ‘C’ match, a total that proved just enough.

Jacks smashed three spectacular sixes off the final over from Karan KC to finish 39 not out off 18 balls .

Nepal ended a whisker away at 180-6, to the disappointment of nearly all the spectators in a three-quarters full Wankhede stadium who had been roaring them on.

Nepal’s players received a massive ovation as they did a lap of honour at the end.

“Winning ugly is a good trait to have,” a relieved Jacks told reporters after England’s 11th win in their last 12 completed T20 Internationals.

“It will serve us in good stead later in the tournament.”

Nepal got off to a flying start in their chase, Kushal Bhurtel crunching 29 off 17 balls before Jacks had him caught and bowled.

Captain Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee came together at 42-2 and brought up Nepal’s 100 in the 12th over.

Pace man Archer, who conceded 14 off his first over, was brought back and this time put on the brakes, conceding just six runs from his next two overs.

But the Nepali batsmen took a liking to Rashid at the other end, launching the leg-spinner for 19 off his third over with Airee hitting two sixes and a four.

An unusually loose display from England’s number one white ball spinner saw him finish with an expensive 0-42 from three overs.

“It wasn’t easy at all, thankfully we got over the line,” said England captain Brook.

“They played extremely well, not many teams take Adil Rashid down the way they did. They put us in a tricky situation. I thought we were in a very good position to defend that, didn’t think it would go as close.

“I wish them all the best for the rest of the competition.”

The blitz left Nepal needing 62 off the last six overs with eight wickets in hand.

Left-arm seamer Curran returned and immediately got the vital breakthrough, ending the 82-run partnership for the third wicket when Airee holed out to Tom Banton for 44 off 29 balls.

The wicket slowed Nepal’s charge and Paudel on 39 then swept Liam Dawson to Phil Salt at deep midwicket to leave them 126-4 in the 16th over.

Archer came back for a final over and it was costly as he was thrashed for three sixes and 22 runs by Lokesh to leave Nepal needing 24 off 12 balls for an unlikely win.

They took 14 from Luke Wood’s final over to leave 10 from six balls but could only manage five as Curran held his nerve.

“Result-wise, it didn’t go our way, but effort-wise, I give 100 percent on fielding, bowling and batting,” said Nepal captain Paudel.

“England were also struggling with death bowling, but Sam Curran bowled really well.”

Dawson was the pick of England’s bowlers with 2-21 while Archer had 1-42 from his four as England just held on.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:
P. Salt c Lamichhane b Malla1
J. Buttler c Sheikh b Yadav26
J. Bethell c Bam b Dipendra55
T. Banton lbw Lamichhane2
H. Brook c Malla b Yadav53
S. Curran b Dipendra2
W. Jacks not out39
J. Archer run out1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4)5
TOTAL (for 7 wkts, 20 overs)184
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Salt), 2-43 (Buttler), 3-57 (Banton), 4-128 (Bethell), 5-137 (Curran), 6-157 (Brook), 7-178 (Archer)
DID NOT BAT: L. Dawson, A. Rashid, L. Wood
BOWLING: Karan 3-0-35-0; Malla 3-0-35-1; Dipendra 3-0-23-2 (1w); Yadav 3-0-25-2 (2w); Lamichhane 4-0-25-1; Bhurtel 4-0-40-0 (1w)

NEPAL:
K. Bhurtel c & b Jacks 29
Aasif Sheikh c Wood b Dawson7
R. Paudel c Salt b Dawson39
D. Singh c Banton b Curran44
Aarif Sheikh c Buttler b Archer10
L. Bam not out39
G. Jha b Wood1
K. KC not out1

EXTRAS (W-10)10
TOTAL (for 6 wkts, 20 overs)180
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-37 (Aasif), 2-42 (Bhurtel), 3-124 (Singh), 4-126 (Paudel), 5-146 (Aarif), 6-175 (Jha)
DID NOT BAT: S. Malla, N. Yadav, S. Lamichhane
BOWLING: Wood 3-0-31-1 (3w); Archer 4-0-42-1 (3w); Dawson 4-0-21-2 (1w); Jacks 2-0-17-1 (1w); Rashid 3-0-42-0; Curran 4-0-27-1 (1w)
RESULT: England won by four runs.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Will Jacks

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2026