England vs Nepal produced a heart-stopping finish at the T20 World Cup as Sam Curran held his nerve in a pressure-cooker final over to save England from a stunning upset, sealing a 4-run victory over Nepal on the last ball at Wankhede Stadium.

With 10 runs needed off the final six deliveries, Sam Curran delivered under immense pressure to deny Nepal a historic triumph in this T20 World Cup clash. Lokesh Bam’s blistering 39* off 20 balls kept the dream alive until the final moment, but England’s experience prevailed in this thriller.

The match swung like a pendulum throughout, but the closing stages belonged to Curran and Bam. England’s all-rounder executed his yorkers precisely when it mattered most, while Bam’s powerful hitting gave Nepal genuine hope until the final delivery fell short.

“It wasn’t an easy game at all, but we got over the line,” said England captain Harry Brook. “Not many players can take down Adil Rashid. Nepal were outstanding. Will Jacks’ knock at the end was crucial, and Sam Curran was calm under pressure when we needed him.”

Chasing 185, Nepal refused to be intimidated despite early setbacks. Aasif Sheikh departed cheaply, and Kushal Bhurtel’s quickfire 29 ended inside the Powerplay, but captain Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee staged a magnificent counterattack.

Their 82-run partnership off 54 balls turned the match on its head. Airee was instrumental with 44, becoming the first Nepalese batter to cross 2,000 T20I runs while putting England’s bowlers under severe pressure.

Just as Nepal seemed poised for an upset, Airee fell in the 15th over. Paudel followed shortly after for 39, leaving the lower order to finish the job. Bam nearly pulled it off single-handedly but fell agonizingly short.

England posted 184/7 earlier, built on explosive half-centuries from Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell, with Will Jacks providing late fireworks. However, Nepal’s bowlers kept them in check through disciplined spells.

Spinners Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airee choked the run flow through the middle overs, while Nandan Yadav picked up crucial wickets to prevent England from running away with the innings. Nepal can walk away with heads held high after pushing one of cricket’s powerhouses to the limit. For England, a narrow escape serves as an early warning, this tournament won’t offer easy victories.

Early Upsets Loom Large as Dropped Catches Nearly Change T20 World Cup

Dropped catches almost cost Pakistan and India in close finishes, while Ireland threatens to upset hosts Sri Lanka in the tournament’s opening matches.

Pakistan survived a dramatic collapse against Netherlands, rescued by Faheem Ashraf’s quick-fire 29 off 11 balls after a crucial dropped catch changed the match.

Sitting comfortably at 90/2, Pakistan suffered a sudden collapse that nearly handed Netherlands a stunning upset. The game-changing moment came in the 19th over when Ashraf smashed Logan van Beek’s first delivery for six, then mistimed the next ball high toward long-on.

Scott Edwards had it covered at the boundary, getting both hands to the ball, but it popped from his grasp. The ball hit his hands, then his head before falling to the ground. Ashraf didn’t look back after that, finishing the match for Pakistan and proving once again that catches win matches.

India faced their own scare against USA, who chose to field after winning the toss and delivered a strong bowling performance that reduced the hosts to 46/4, their third-lowest Powerplay total at home in T20Is since the 2024 World Cup.

The turning point came in the 10th over. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, India’s only set batsman, hit Shubham Ranjane for two boundaries before getting a leading edge on the final delivery. The ball went straight back to Ranjane in his follow-through. He initially caught it but his hands were going down. In trying to get his hands back up, he lost control and couldn’t hold on.

SKY made them pay, smashing 84 off 49 balls to take India to a defendable total.

Ireland Eyes Upset Against Hosts Sri Lanka

The ongoing match between Sri Lanka and Ireland could be another upset for the hosts, though it won’t be an easy job for the Irish. However, we have seen their capabilities, and they can pull off matches like this.