England hold off Nepal charge in final over to avoid T20 World Cup shock

Simon Burnton at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Sun, 8 February 2026 at 2:04 pm UTC·4 min read On a raucous early evening in front of a hugely one-sided crowd Nepal so nearly provided the upset this World Cup needed and that England were so desperate to avoid, as they seek to buff a tarnished winter into some kind of shine. As their captain, Rohit Paudel, had pointed out before the tournament began, the Nepalese are used to climbing mountains. Even on an awkward surface a target of 185 was pretty trivial by Himalayan standards. A brave and sometimes brutal batting performance, capped by a thrilling and so nearly decisive contribution from the aptly named Lokesh Bam, hauled them to within touching...