Nepal seek to turn promise into points

The International Cricket Council, in its recent release, stated that the biggest spike in following on its digital platforms last week came from Nepal, a country whose cricket team nearly pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history when they threatened to beat England in the opening game of the 2026 T20 World Cup but marginally fell short.

Rohit Paudel, Nepal's skipper, had mentioned after the game that they hadn't turned up to the World Cup merely to 'participate'. They have come here with the belief of being able to beat every team they come up against.

There may or may not be more such heartbreaks in Nepal's splendid growth story in cricket, but if they were to come out on top in one World Cup contest this year, their safest bet would be against Italy - a team which is also scripting one of the finest growth stories in global cricket in recent times.

While both the teams would be aware that a chance to qualify to the next round of the tournament seems a bit improbable, if they were to have an outside shot at it, the afternoon encounter in Mumbai, on Thursday, would have to be clinched. A defeat in this game would all but end any rational hopes of qualification.

Italy have been dented by the injury to skipper Wayne Madsen, and his availability remains uncertain, but on a surface which has come under a bit of scrutiny following its sluggish nature in the contest between India and USA, they could put up a fight against Nepal. There will be a lot at stake in what might seem a clash of minnows in the tournament.

When: Thursday, February 12, 2026, 3:00 PM IST

Where: Nepal vs Italy, Match 17, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

What to expect: The pitch might hold up a bit, unlike the flat surfaces usually on offer at the Wankhede Stadium. The familiarity with the conditions would be favourable for Nepal.

Team News:

Italy: Wayne Madsen dislocated his shoulder while fielding in Italy's opening game. He was expected to undergo assessments for concussion and a possible neck injury. His availability remains uncertain.

Probable XI: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Syed Naqvi, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, Jaspreet Singh/Marcus Campopiano, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade, Crishan Kalugamage, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan

Nepal: They might go unchanged for this game.

Probable XI: Kushal Bhartel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla

What they said:

"Our boys have given all they had. That's what makes them different. I'm very proud of them. We had that belief when we came into this World Cup. We didn't come here to just participate. We wanted to compete. And we had that belief in the group that we can beat any of the sides if we play our best brand of cricket." - Rohit Paudel, Nepal skipper, following the loss against England

"The Nepalese guys have had the benefit of playing there and I think they play all four games there, so I think that's a big advantage for them. But we'll have to just adjust and think on our feet. We don't have our captain, who is probably one of our better players of spin, so someone else will have to step up into that spot and steer the innings through the middle." - John Davison, Italy coach