Mumbai, Feb 15 (NationPress) Dipendra Singh Airee's resilient half-century led Nepal to a recovery, finishing with 133/8 against West Indies in their Group C match during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Facing a challenging pitch, Nepal encountered immediate pressure from the West Indies' opening bowlers. Akeal Hosein struck in the very first over, delivering a ball that skidded through to dislodge Kushal Bhurtel. This early wicket set the stage as Matthew Forde and Hosein maintained tight lines, providing little room for error while extracting grip from the pitch.

Aasif Sheikh attempted a brief counterattack with a couple of boundaries but fell to Jason Holder, who claimed a wicket with his very first ball—a loose delivery down the pads that was caught at fine leg. Forde then trapped captain Rohit Paudel lbw, with the decision upheld upon review, before Holder struck again to dismiss Aarif Sheikh, whose leading edge was caught at mid-wicket. By the end of the powerplay, Nepal had limped to 22/3, marking the lowest six-over total of the tournament.

With the top order in disarray, Airee was called upon to rebuild. He started cautiously, finding it tough to time the ball as the West Indies bowlers cleverly varied their pace. Lokesh Bam tried to build momentum but edged Shamar Joseph behind after a streaky boundary, leaving Nepal struggling at 46/5 in the 11th over.

Airee eventually shifted gears against the spinners, stepping down the track to Gudakesh Motie to loft the first six of the innings over long-off, signaling Nepal’s intent to fight back. Gulsan Jha supported with a towering slog sweep off Hosein but was bowled by Roston Chase while attempting another big hit.

At 68/5 after 14 overs, Nepal seemed destined for a modest score. However, circumstances shifted dramatically in the final stages. Airee found a dependable ally in Sompal Kami, who played with confidence and authority. Kami took on Holder in the 17th over, hitting three boundaries to propel Nepal past the 100-run mark and invigorate the bench.

Airee reached a determined half-century with a remarkable upper cut for six off Shamar Joseph, raising his bat to thunderous applause. The 18th over yielded 18 runs as Airee struck two sixes, including a powerful slog over mid-wicket, while Sompal smartly rotated the strike.

The final over was filled with tension. Holder ended Airee's commendable innings at 58 off 47 balls, concluding a vital knock featuring three fours and three sixes. Sompal and Karan KC scrambled for crucial runs before Holder claimed another wicket, finishing with impressive figures of 4-27.

Brief Scores: Nepal 133/8 in 20 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 58, Sompal Kami 26*; Jason Holder 4-27, Matthew Forde 1-10) against West Indies