SHARJAH: Nepal shocked the West Indies with a commanding 90-run victory in the second T20I at Sharjah to clinch their first-ever series win over a Full Member nation on Monday.
With this result, Nepal lead the three-match series 2-0, with the last game scheduled for Tuesday.
Chasing a sizeable total of 174, West Indies collapsed for a paltry 83 all out in 17.1 overs — their sixth lowest in T20Is, and the biggest-ever margin of victory by an Associate team against a Full Member in T20Is.
Fielding and discipline set Nepal apart
Nepal’s dominance began with the ball. West Indies were throttled in the powerplay, crawling to just 16/2 after six overs. Dipendra Singh Airee struck early, removing Jewel Andrew (2), before a sharp catch by Kushal Bhurtel at cover dismissed Keacy Carty (1).
The bowlers kept a stranglehold on the run rate with smart use of slower balls and yorker-length deliveries, forcing mistimed shots from an inexperienced West Indies batting lineup.
Nepal’s fielding was the real difference. Gulsan Jha set the tone with a diving effort at sweeper cover to dismiss Kyle Mayers (6 off 16). Time and again, West Indies found fielders instead of gaps — the hallmark of a side hungry and well-drilled.
Medium pacer Mohammad Aadil Alam, playing his first game for Nepal since 2022, was the star of the bowling attack with 4 for 24. He dismantled the West Indies middle order, removing Auguste and Jangoo in quick succession and later picking up two more to break the back of the chase.
Kushal Bhurtel, already a contributor with a stunning catch, returned to clean up the tail with 3 for 16, ensuring there was no late resistance. He dismissed captain Akeal Hosein for a duck, picked up Motara to finish the innings, and was central to the fielding effort that never let up.
Earlier, Nepal had posted a strong total of 173/6, led by an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls from opener Aasif Sheikh. After a slow start that saw them at 14/2, Sheikh and Sundeep Jora built a brilliant 100-run partnership. Jora’s attacking 63 off 39, including five sixes, injected much-needed momentum in the second half of the innings.
The first ten overs yielded no sixes, but Nepal accelerated strongly in the back half, hitting nine sixes in total, pushing Nepal beyond the 170 mark.
West Indies’ captain Akeal Hosein was the standout with the ball, returning 2 for 21, but received little support as Nepal’s middle order flourished.
With the third game scheduled for Tuesday, Nepal now have a chance to complete a famous 3-0 sweep.
Match summary:
Nepal: 173/6 (Aasif Sheikh 68*, Sundeep Jora 63; Akeal Hosein 2/21)
West Indies: 83 all out (Alam 4/24, Bhurtel 3/16)
Result: Nepal won by 90 runs
Series: Nepal lead 2-0 (3-match series)
