Nepal needed 9 off the last over. Lokesh Bam was on strike, striking at 195, and the Wankhede crowd was electric. Sam Curran ran in and conceded just 4. England survived -by the thinnest of margins -to win one of the most dramatic group-stage matches in recent T20 World Cup history. The england cricket team vs nepal national cricket team match scorecard tells the story of a four-run thriller, but the numbers only scratch the surface of what this match meant for both sides.

England Beat Nepal by 4 Runs -Match Result

England defeated Nepal by 4 runs in Match 5, Group C, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on February 8, 2026. England posted 184/7 in 20 overs, Nepal fell short at 180/6, four runs away from what would have been one of cricket’s most celebrated upsets. England won the ENG vs NEP T20 World Cup 2026 match by 4 runs. England scored 184/7 (Bethell 55, Brook 53, Jacks 39*). Nepal scored 180/6 (Airee 44, Paudel 39, Bam 39*). Player of the Match: Will Jacks.

Match Info Box

Detail	Info
Tournament	ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Match	Match 5, Group C
Date	February 8, 2026
Venue	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Toss	England won, elected to bat first
Result	England won by 4 runs
Player of the Match	Will Jacks (England)
Umpires	Leslie Reifer, Rod Tucker
TV Umpire	Paul Reiffel

England Innings: 184/7 in 20 Overs

England’s total of 184/7 was built on two anchoring fifties and a devastating finish from Will Jacks. After a wobbly powerplay that saw them lose three wickets for 57 runs, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook steadied the innings with a 71-run fourth-wicket partnership before Jacks turned the final overs into an assault.

Read More: India Women’s National Cricket Team vs Pakistan Women’s National Cricket Team Match Scorecard

England Batting Scorecard

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Phil Salt	c Lamichhane b Malla	1	2	0	0	50.00
Jos Buttler (wk)	c Aasif b Yadav	26	17	5	0	152.94
Jacob Bethell	c Bam b Airee	55	35	4	4	157.14
Tom Banton	lbw b Lamichhane	2	5	0	0	40.00
Harry Brook (c)	c Malla b Yadav	53	32	4	3	165.62
Sam Curran	b Airee	2	8	0	0	25.00
Will Jacks	not out	39*	18	1	4	216.67
Jofra Archer	run out (Aasif)	1	3	0	0	33.33
Liam Dawson	not out	0	0	—	—	—
Extras	1lb, 4w	5
TOTAL		184/7	20 ov			RR: 9.20

Did not bat: Adil Rashid, Luke Wood

Nepal Bowling -England Innings

Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ
Karan KC	3	0	35	0	11.66
Sher Malla	3	0	35	1	11.66
Dipendra Singh Airee	3	0	23	2	7.66
Nandan Yadav	3	0	25	2	8.33
Sandeep Lamichhane	4	0	25	1	6.25
Kushal Bhurtel	4	0	40	0	10.00

Fall of Wickets -England

Wkt	Score	Batsman	Over
1st	5/1	Phil Salt	1.1
2nd	43/2	Jos Buttler	4.3
3rd	57/3	Tom Banton	6.1
4th	128/4	Jacob Bethell	13.4
5th	130/5	Sam Curran	15.3
6th	157/6	Harry Brook	18.2
7th	178/7	Jofra Archer	19.5

Nepal Innings: 180/6 in 20 Overs

Nepal’s chase was near-perfect for 15 overs -and then two wickets arrived in six deliveries. The Paudel–Airee partnership of 82 runs had put Nepal firmly in control, but their back-to-back dismissals at 124/3 and 126/4 proved decisive. Lokesh Bam’s extraordinary 39 off 20 in the death brought Nepal within touching distance, but four runs remained elusive.

Nepal Batting Scorecard

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Kushal Bhurtel	c & b Jacks	29	17	4	1	170.59
Aasif Sheikh (wk)	c Wood b Dawson	7	9	1	0	77.78
Rohit Paudel (c)	c Salt b Dawson	39	34	2	2	114.71
Dipendra Singh Airee	c Banton b Curran	44	29	6	1	151.72
Aarif Sheikh	c Buttler b Archer	10	8	0	1	125.00
Lokesh Bam	not out	39*	20	4	2	195.00
Gulshan Jha	b Wood	1	2	0	0	50.00
Karan KC	not out	1	1	0	0	100.00
Extras	10w	10
TOTAL		180/6	20 ov			RR: 9.00

Did not bat: Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane

England Bowling -Nepal Innings

Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ
Luke Wood	3	0	31	1	10.33
Jofra Archer	4	0	42	1	10.50
Liam Dawson	4	0	21	2	5.25
Will Jacks	2	0	17	1	8.50
Adil Rashid	3	0	42	0	14.00
Sam Curran	4	0	27	1	6.75

Fall of Wickets -Nepal

Wkt	Score	Batsman	Over
1st	37/1	Aasif Sheikh	3.5
2nd	42/2	Kushal Bhurtel	5.2
3rd	124/3	Dipendra Singh Airee	14.2
4th	126/4	Rohit Paudel	15.3
5th	146/5	Aarif Sheikh	17.2
6th	175/6	Gulshan Jha	18.6

Match Statistics

The england cricket team vs nepal national cricket team match scorecard highlights a match where Nepal’s death-over total (62/2) actually exceeded England’s (57/3) -yet Nepal still lost. The difference was England’s powerplay advantage and the decisive middle-over collapse.

Stat	England	Nepal
Total	184/7	180/6
Run Rate	9.20	9.00
Powerplay Score (Ov 1–6)	57/2	47/2
Death Overs (Ov 16–20)	57/3	62/2
Highest Partnership	71 -Bethell–Brook (4th wkt)	82 -Paudel–Airee (3rd wkt)
Most Fours	Buttler (5)	Airee (6)
Most Sixes	Jacks (4)	Bethell (4) / Bam (2)
Fastest SR (min. 15 balls)	Jacks –216.67	Bam –195.00
Extras	5 (1lb, 4w)	10 (10w)
Dot Ball % (approx.)	~28%	~32%
Boundary % of Total	~58%	~54%

Partnership Analysis

Partnerships decided this match more than any individual performance. England’s 71-run stand between Bethell and Brook rebuilt a wobbling innings, Nepal’s 82-run stand between Paudel and Airee made the chase look winnable. When both teams’ defining partnerships ended, the match changed direction immediately.

England Key Partnerships

#	Batters	Runs	Balls	RR
1st	Salt–Buttler	5	6	5.00
2nd	Buttler–Bethell	38	22	10.36
3rd	Bethell–Banton	14	14	6.00
4th	Bethell–Brook	71	40	10.65
5th	Brook–Curran	9	14	3.86
6th	Brook–Jacks	27	14	11.57
7th	Jacks–Archer	21	9	14.00

Nepal Key Partnerships

#	Batters	Runs	Balls	RR
1st	Bhurtel–Aasif	37	22	10.09
2nd	Bhurtel–Paudel	5	9	3.33
3rd	Paudel–Airee	82	52	9.46
4th	Airee–Aarif	22	14	9.43
5th	Aarif–Bam	29	18	9.67
6th	Bam–Jha	5	4	7.50
7th	Bam–Karan KC	5*	2	15.00

Key Moments Timeline

Every major swing in this match can be traced to specific overs. The england cricket team vs nepal national cricket team match scorecard becomes fully meaningful when read alongside these turning-point moments.

Over	Moment	Score
1.1	Salt falls for 1 -early wobble	ENG 5/1
4.3	Buttler dismissed (26 off 17)	ENG 43/2
6.0	End of Powerplay	ENG 57/2
6.1	Banton out -three down inside 7 overs	ENG 57/3
13.4	Bethell dismissed for 55 -key moment	ENG 128/4
15.3	Curran out -platform phase over	ENG 130/5
18.2	Brook dismissed for 53	ENG 157/6
19.5	Archer run out -tension builds	ENG 178/7
20.0	England finish -184/7	—
3.5	Aasif Sheikh out -Nepal rocky early	NEP 37/1
5.2	Bhurtel out -42/2 at powerplay	NEP 42/2
6.0	End of Powerplay -10 behind England	NEP 47/2
14.2	Airee dismissed for 44 -chase losing steam	NEP 124/3
15.3	Paudel out -match turns here	NEP 126/4
17.2	Aarif out -bottom order exposed	NEP 146/5
18.6	Gulshan Jha out	NEP 175/6
20.0	Nepal finish 4 runs short -180/6	—

Tactical Breakdown: Why England Won and Nepal Came So Close

This was a match decided by phase cricket -and England won two of the three phases that mattered most.

Bethell–Brook Partnership: The Match’s Decisive Stand

England’s powerplay of 57/2 was competitive but fragile. Three wickets for 57 runs inside the first seven overs put Nepal firmly in the contest. What followed was decisive: Bethell and Brook built a 71-run fourth-wicket stand at a run rate of 10.65, absorbing the rebuild phase while refusing to let the run rate fall below match-winning territory. Brook’s dismissal at 18.2 for 53 came with the damage already done. At 157/6, Will Jacks was at the crease, and he needed 18 balls to add 39 runs at a strike rate of 216.67. His four sixes in that innings were the difference between 160 and 184 -and 184 proved enough, barely.

Nepal’s 15th-Over Collapse: Where the Chase Was Lost

Nepal’s T20 World Cup chase was tactically near-perfect for 14 overs. The Paudel–Airee partnership of 82 runs -the highest partnership in this match -took Nepal from 42/2 to 124/3. At that point, Nepal needed 61 off 34 balls with seven wickets in hand: a live, winnable position. What happened next defined the match. Airee fell at over 14.2. Paudel followed six balls later at 15.3. Two wickets, two runs, six deliveries. Nepal went from 124/3 to 126/4 in a single heartbeat. The required run rate jumped from 10.76 to 14.47 in the space of one over, and Nepal never truly recovered their momentum.

Dawson’s Control Versus Rashid’s Concession

The bowling contrast within England’s attack tells a significant story. Liam Dawson conceded 21 runs in 4 overs at an economy of 5.25, delivering both of England’s middle-over breakthroughs -the wickets of Aasif Sheikh and Rohit Paudel. Adil Rashid, by contrast, leaked 42 runs in 3 overs (economy: 14.00). Nepal’s batters read Rashid’s leg-spin with unusual confidence for an associate side. Had Rashid bowled even an average economy, Nepal’s target would have been climbing significantly faster in the middle overs. Dawson’s performance was the quiet backbone of England’s bowling effort, Rashid’s was the vulnerability that Nepal identified and exploited.

Sam Curran’s Final Over: Death Bowling Under Maximum Pressure

Nepal needed 9 off the last over. Lokesh Bam -with a strike rate of 195 in this innings -was on strike. The equation was tight, the pressure was absolute, and Curran’s full spell of 4-0-27-1 at 6.75 economy gave him the credibility to bowl it. He conceded just 4, winning the match for England. The final over was not just match-defining -it was the kind of moment that defines careers.

Match Awards

Award	Player	Team	Performance
Player of the Match	Will Jacks	England	39* off 18 (SR 216.67) + 1/17
Best Batter	Jacob Bethell	England	55 off 35, SR 157.14
Best Bowler	Liam Dawson	England	2/21 in 4 overs, Econ 5.25
Best All-Rounder	Dipendra Singh Airee	Nepal	44 off 29 + 2/23 in 3 overs
Turning Point	Paudel dismissal	Over 15.3	NEP 124/3 → 126/4 in 6 balls

England vs Nepal Head-to-Head Record (T20Is)

This was the first-ever T20 International between England and Nepal, making the england cricket team vs nepal national cricket team match scorecard a historic document in itself. England won the only encounter by 4 runs at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on February 8, 2026, in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Stat	England	Nepal
Matches Played	1	1
Won	1	0
Lost	0	1
No Result / Tied	0	0
Neutral Venue Wins	1	0

Nepal’s performance in this match -losing by just 4 runs on a neutral venue against a two-time T20 World Cup champion -confirmed their rapid development as a competitive T20 nation on the global stage.

Group C Points Table Impact

Team	P	W	L	NRR	Pts
England	1	1	0	+0.20	2
Nepal	1	0	1	−0.20	0

England’s two points from Match 5 were crucial in their title defence. The narrow margin of victory also meant England’s NRR barely moved -a factor that could yet prove significant in a competitive Group C. Nepal’s four-run defeat, while ending in a loss, gave their cricket programme a performance statement that resonated far beyond the result.

Playing XI

England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood

Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane

Nepal handed a T20 World Cup debut to Sher Malla in this match

Frequently Asked Questions: