Jason Holder claims four wickets before batters seal easy chase
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continued its excitement at the Wankhede Stadium today as the West Indies delivered a commanding performance to defeat Nepal by 9 wickets. Led by a brilliant bowling spell from Jason Holder and a composed half-century from Shai Hope, the Caribbean giants outclassed their opponents in the Group C encounter.
West Indies captain won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that paid off immediately. The Nepal batting lineup struggled against the pace and bounce of the Windies attack. They found themselves in deep trouble early on, losing three wickets inside the Powerplay with just 22 runs on the board.
Dipendra Singh Airee was the lone warrior for Nepal, fighting hard to stabilize the innings. He scored a gritty 58 off 47 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes. Towards the end, Sompal Kami added a quickfire 26 not out to push the total to a respectable 133/8 in 20 overs. However, the star of the first innings was undoubtedly Jason Holder, who ripped through the Nepali middle order to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 27.
Chasing a modest target of 134, the West Indies batters looked in no rush but punished every loose delivery. Although opener Brandon King fell for 22, caught by Bhurtel off Nandan Yadav, it was the only success Nepal tasted with the ball.
Shai Hope anchored the chase perfectly, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 44 balls. He found a capable partner in Shimron Hetmyer, who blasted 46 not out from just 32 deliveries. The duo stitched together a match-winning partnership, guiding the team home in just 15.2 overs with 28 balls to spare.
This comprehensive victory boosts the West Indies' net run rate significantly in the West Indies vs Nepal T20 World Cup group standings. For Nepal, the heavy defeat highlights the need for their top order to fire in upcoming matches.
Brief Scores:
Image Sources: ESPN / ICC / Getty Images
