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The ICC recently reported that Nepal saw the biggest surge in followers on its digital platforms last week—a rise fueled by their near-upset of England in the opening game of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Nepalese side came agonizingly close to pulling off one of the tournament’s greatest shocks, only falling short by a narrow margin.
Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s captain, had declared after the game that the team had not come to the World Cup merely to “participate.” They arrived with the belief that they could compete with, and even defeat, any team on their path. While heartbreak may still be part of Nepal’s remarkable cricketing journey, their best chance of securing a win in this tournament appears to be against Italy—a team that is also making significant strides in global cricket.
Both sides are realistically aware that progressing to the next round is a long shot. However, for either team to keep that slim possibility alive, Thursday’s afternoon encounter in Mumbai is effectively a must-win. A loss would almost certainly end any hope of qualification. Italy’s challenge has been compounded by the injury to skipper Wayne Madsen, whose participation remains uncertain. Yet on a pitch that has drawn scrutiny for its slow nature following the India vs USA match, Italy could still offer stiff resistance. What may appear as a clash of minnows carries plenty at stake in this tournament.
Squads:
Italy Squad: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade(w), Crishan Kalugamage, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan, Wayne Madsen(c), Jaspreet Singh, Marcus Campopiano, Syed Naqvi, Zain Ali
Nepal Squad: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Basir Ahamad, Sundeep Jora, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami
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Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s captain, had declared after the game that the team had not come to the World Cup merely to “participate.” They arrived with the belief that they could compete with, and even defeat, any team on their path. While heartbreak may still be part of Nepal’s remarkable cricketing journey, their best chance of securing a win in this tournament appears to be against Italy—a team that is also making significant strides in global cricket.
Both sides are realistically aware that progressing to the next round is a long shot. However, for either team to keep that slim possibility alive, Thursday’s afternoon encounter in Mumbai is effectively a must-win. A loss would almost certainly end any hope of qualification. Italy’s challenge has been compounded by the injury to skipper Wayne Madsen, whose participation remains uncertain. Yet on a pitch that has drawn scrutiny for its slow nature following the India vs USA match, Italy could still offer stiff resistance. What may appear as a clash of minnows carries plenty at stake in this tournament.
Squads:
Italy Squad: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade(w), Crishan Kalugamage, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan, Wayne Madsen(c), Jaspreet Singh, Marcus Campopiano, Syed Naqvi, Zain Ali
Nepal Squad: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Basir Ahamad, Sundeep Jora, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami
=======
All posters, please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staff, etc.
2. No making fun of players', officials', or coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media, or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion, as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
