Did Nepal Achieve a Historic T20I Win Against West Indies?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Nepal made T20I history with their first win against a full ICC member.
- The victory was by 19 runs, showcasing Nepal's potential.
- Key contributions came from Rohit Paudel, Kusal Malla, and Gulsan Jha.
- West Indies struggled with their batting and lost wickets at regular intervals.
- Jason Holder's bowling was a highlight for the West Indies.
Sharjah, Sep 28 (NationPress) In a groundbreaking moment for Nepalese cricket, the team achieved international T20 history by overcoming the West Indies by 19 runs during the opening match of the three-match T20I series, marking their first-ever victory against a full-member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Nepal's bowlers applied consistent pressure on a West Indies squad missing some key players, leading to this historic 19-run win. With this victory, Nepal now leads the series 1-0, with the second T20I set to take place on September 29.
Played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the West Indies won the toss and opted to field first against the Associate Member team. They managed to restrict Nepal to a modest total of 148/8, largely thanks to significant contributions from their middle order.
After quick wickets saw Kushal Bhurtel (5) and Aasif Sheikh (3) dismissed, reducing Nepal to 12/2 in the fourth over, captain Rohit Paudel (38 runs off 35 balls), Kusal Malla (30 runs off 21), and Gulsan Jha (22 runs off 16) helped the team recover to 148/8, despite a late collapse initiated by leg-spinner Navin Bidaisee, who dismissed both Paudel and Malla in consecutive overs.
For the West Indies, Jason Holder shone with figures of 4-20, while Bidaisee supported him with 3-29.
In their chase for 149 runs, West Indies suffered an early setback with Kyle Mayers getting run out for just five runs. The West Indies struggled to build momentum, consistently losing wickets with Amir Jangoo (19 runs off 22), Ackeem Auguste (15 runs off 7), Keacy Carty (16 runs off 15), and Navin Bidaisee (22 runs off 25) unable to produce substantial scores.
Despite valiant lower-order contributions from Fabian Allen (19 runs off 14) and captain Akeal Hosein (18 runs off 9), the West Indies could only muster 129/9, conceding a memorable victory to Nepal by 19 runs.
Brief Scores:
Nepal 148/8 in 20 overs (Rohit Paudel 38, Kushal Malla 30, Gulsan Jha 22; Jason Holder 4-20, Navin Bidaisee 3-29) beat West Indies 129/9 in 20 overs (Navin Bidaisee 22, Amir Jangoo 19; Kushal Bhurtel 2-17) by 19 runs.