Mumbai, February 18: Nepal ended its T20 World Cup victory drought by defeating Scotland by seven wickets on Tuesday. This marks Nepal’s first win in the T20 World Cup since 2014. Captain Rohit Paudel expressed the significance of this victory.
At Wankhede Stadium, Scotland scored 170 runs, losing seven wickets. In response, Nepal chased down the target in just 19.2 overs, with seven wickets remaining.
Following this historic win, Captain Rohit Paudel stated, “This victory means a lot to me, especially as it is my second World Cup as captain and winning my first game in the last league stage is very special. This match was crucial for us—not just for me, but as a team.” He praised player Dipendra for his outstanding performance.
Paudel also thanked the fans, saying, “This win was important for them too. They witnessed our game against England, and many came back to support us. Although we didn’t execute our game plan as intended, they remained with us until the last game. This victory was significant for them as well.”
Nepal faced a narrow four-run defeat against England in a thrilling match. Reflecting on that game, Paudel noted, “We learned a lot from that match about maintaining composure under pressure. Both bowlers and batsmen feel the strain in the final overs. If you stay calm, even a slight mistake from the bowler can increase the pressure.”
He added, “We played the way we wanted against Scotland and England, but our matches against Italy and the West Indies did not meet our expectations. Overall, we are quite satisfied, although our goal was to qualify for the Super 8.”
