T20 World Cup 2026: Italy Create History With Maiden T20 World Cup Victory, Thrash Nepal By 10 Wickets
Italy created history on Thursday (Feb 12) as they secured their first-ever victory at the T20 World Cup, crushing Nepal by 10 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium. Following a spirited showing against England, Nepal received a harsh reality check from Italy, who are competing in their debut T20 World Cup. The triumph for Italy also marks them as the first associate nation to register a win at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Italy’s Historic Achievement
Chasing 124 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, Italy dominated Nepal comprehensively, sealing victory with 44 balls remaining. The Italian opening combination of Justin Mosca (unbeaten 60) and Anthony Mosca (unbeaten 62) guided the European qualifiers home in a thoroughly one-sided encounter. The duo combined for an unbroken partnership of 124 runs, batting with exceptional fluency to give the associate nations their first points in the tournament.
For Nepal, the defeat served as a sobering reality check despite their courageous display against England on Sunday. In that England clash, Nepal required 10 runs from the final over but fell short of victory. However, Thursday’s loss now places them on the verge of elimination while also significantly damaging their net run rate (NRR).
Nepal’s Batting Collapse
After winning the toss, Italian captain Harry Manenti elected to bowl first, a decision that yielded immediate dividends. Kushal Bhurtel (5) departed in the second over before a promising partnership between Aasif Sheikh (20) and captain Rohit Paudel (23) steadied the Asian side. However, Nepal’s batsmen struggled to counter Italy’s bowling attack and slumped from 49/1 to 49/3 in quick succession.
Dipendra Singh Airee (17) and Aarif Sheikh (27) then stabilized proceedings for Nepal as they reached 93/3 at one point. However, Italy struck back decisively, claiming seven wickets within a span of 30 runs. Nepal were eventually dismissed for 123, handing the Italians a commanding advantage heading into the interval.