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Mumbai, February 18:
Scotland captain Richie Berrington credited Nepal’s star batter Dipendra Singh Airee and the bowling unit after Nepal scripted history with their first-ever T20 World Cup victory, defeating Scotland by seven wickets in the 2026 T20 World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Nepal successfully chased down Scotland’s total of 171, reaching the target in 19.2 overs, thanks to Dipendra’s match-winning unbeaten half-century.
Dipendra Singh Airee’s Explosive 50 Turns the Match
Dipendra Singh Airee played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 50 off just 23 balls, shifting momentum firmly in Nepal’s favour.
Speaking after the match, Berrington admitted that Nepal’s bowlers restricted Scotland strongly in the final overs, which kept their total slightly below par.
He also praised Dipendra’s ability to change games with his aggressive batting.
“A lot of credit to Nepal for the way they bowled in the back end of our batting innings. They made it really tough to get boundaries away in those last few overs… a lot of credit has to go to Dipendra, the way he played today. It was a fantastic knock,” Berrington said.
Nepal’s Bowlers Restrict Scotland to 170/7
Scotland started strongly, scoring 52/0 in the powerplay, and looked set for a bigger total.
Michael Jones played a standout innings of 71 off 45 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes.
However, Nepal made a strong comeback in the death overs, led by experienced pacer Sompal Kami, who picked up 3 wickets for 25 runs in his four overs.
Scotland managed only 39 runs in the final five overs, finishing at 170/7.
Nepal’s Strong Start Sets Up the Chase
In reply, Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh gave their team a flying start.
They scored 56 runs in the powerplay, and the opening partnership reached 74 runs before Bhurtel was dismissed for 43.
Dipendra and Gulsan Jha Seal Nepal’s First World Cup Win
The turning point came when Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulsan Jha built a match-winning partnership.
The duo stitched an unbeaten 73-run stand for the fourth wicket, guiding Nepal to victory.
- Dipendra Singh Airee: 50* (24 balls)
- Gulsan Jha: 24* (17 balls)
Nepal chased the target in 19.2 overs, securing their first-ever T20 World Cup win.
Berrington Praises 20-Team World Cup Format
Richie Berrington also praised the 20-team World Cup format, saying Associate nations have once again shown they can compete at the highest level.
He emphasised that teams like Scotland need more exposure and fixtures against top nations to continue improving.
“I think it’s fantastic that we’ve seen another 20-team World Cup. No surprise that the associates have shown once again what they can do on the world stage… more fixtures against bigger teams is only going to make us better,” he added.
Associate Nations Making Their Mark
Nepal’s historic win is another strong example of how Associate teams are stepping up in the 20-team tournament, making the World Cup more competitive and unpredictable.
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