Holder, Hope Seal Super Eights Berth as West Indies Knock Nepal Out
A commanding all-round performance powered West Indies into the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup 2026, as they eased to a nine-wicket victory over Nepal and ended the latter’s hopes of progression.
From the opening over, West Indies asserted complete control, producing a ruthless powerplay bowling display before chasing down a modest 134-run target inside 16 overs to register their third win of the tournament.
Powerplay Stranglehold Sets the Tone
Matthew Forde impressed with the new ball, while Jason Holder starred with four wickets as Nepal were restricted to 133 for 8.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein struck in the first over, dismissing Kushal Bhurtel with an arm ball to continue his dominance in that head-to-head match-up. Forde then exploited swing and seam movement, trapping Nepal captain Rohit Paudel lbw and delivering a wicket maiden.
Holder made an immediate impact, striking with his first delivery as Nepal slumped further. At 22 for 3 after six overs — the lowest powerplay total by any side in this year’s tournament — Nepal were already under severe pressure.
Despite the early collapse, Dipendra Singh Airee stood firm. He compiled a determined half-century — only Nepal’s second in T20 World Cup history — and found support late in the innings from Sompal Kami, who struck three consecutive boundaries off Holder in the 17th over.
Airee brought up his fifty with a six off Shamar Joseph and added another maximum in an 18-run over. However, Holder returned to dismiss him in the final over and also removed Karan KC off the last ball to finish with figures of 4 for 27 — a sharp turnaround after an expensive outing against England.
Hope and Hetmyer Lead Comfortable Chase
In reply, West Indies began steadily. Brandon King struck early boundaries before falling to Nandan Yadav, leaving the score at 44 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.
Captain Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer then took control of the chase. Hetmyer played the aggressor, finding boundaries off Sandeep Lamichhane and racing to 26 off 16 balls, including the first six of the innings.
Hope gradually accelerated, capitalising on a misfield and clearing the ropes to shift momentum decisively. Two sixes off Lamichhane — the first bringing up his half-century — brought West Indies level in the 15th over. They sealed victory two balls later, completing a dominant performance.
The knock marked a timely return to form for Hope, who had managed just 19 runs across his first two matches of the tournament.
With the comprehensive win, West Indies secured their place in the Super Eights, while Nepal were officially eliminated from contention.