Curran Holds Nerve as England Edge Nepal in T20 World Cup Thriller

England survived a dramatic late onslaught from Nepal to secure a tense four-run victory in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Sunday.

Chasing 185 for a historic upset, Nepal came agonisingly close, needing 13 runs from the final nine balls after a blistering late assault by Lokesh Bam. However, Sam Curran delivered a composed final over, conceding just five runs to seal the win and hand England a nervy start to their campaign.

Earlier, half-centuries from Jacob Bethell (55) and Harry Brook (53) helped England post 184 for 7. Will Jacks provided late impetus with an unbeaten 39 from No. 7, including three sixes in the final over, and was later named Player of the Match.

Nepal’s chase began brightly, with Kushal Bhurtel striking three boundaries off Jofra Archer to set the tone. A crucial 82-run partnership between Dipendra Singh Airee (44) and Rohit Paudel (39) kept Nepal firmly in contention, leaving 62 required from the final six overs.

Despite both Airee and Paudel falling in quick succession, Bam reignited hopes with a fearless display at the death. He struck Archer for two towering sixes and punished Luke Wood’s penultimate over, which cost 14 runs, to leave just 10 needed from the final over.

Curran, however, executed his yorkers under pressure. With Nepal needing a six off the final ball, Bam could only toe-end a catch to deep extra cover, sparking visible relief in the England camp.

Nepal were left to reflect on another near-miss at a global tournament, following their one-run defeat to South Africa in the 2024 edition. Captain Paudel paid tribute to the travelling supporters, saying the team had “carried the hopes and belief of the whole of Nepal.”

England’s bowling performance was uneven. Veteran left-arm spinner Liam Dawson was the standout, claiming 2 for 21 on his ICC event debut at the age of 35. By contrast, Archer and Adil Rashid were unusually expensive as Nepal capitalised on width and loose deliveries.

England themselves endured a shaky start with the bat, losing three wickets inside the powerplay. Debutant offspinner Sher Malla struck with his first ball to dismiss Phil Salt, while Jos Buttler fell for 26. Tom Banton was dropped early but failed to capitalise, departing soon after.

Bethell steadied the innings with confident strokeplay in his first senior ICC appearance, while Brook accelerated later before falling shortly after reaching his half-century. Jacks’ late hitting proved decisive, a contribution Brook later acknowledged as match-winning.

Though England escaped with victory, Nepal’s performance earned widespread admiration, underlining their growing stature on the world stage and pushing one of the tournament favourites to the very edge.