West Indies on Sunday became the first team to qualify for the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup after a commanding nine-wicket victory over Nepal in their Group C match at the Wankhede Stadium.
Captain Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 61 while Shimron Hetmyer remained not out on 46 as West Indies chased down 134 in 15.2 overs, winning with 28 balls to spare. Earlier, Jason Holder’s 4 for 27 restricted Nepal to 133 for 8 despite Dipendra Singh Airee’s fighting 58 not out.
With three wins from three matches, West Indies sit atop Group C and advance comfortably to the next stage.
Hope’s 61 came off 44 deliveries and included five fours and three sixes. Hetmyer continued his fine form with a 32-ball 46, hitting four boundaries and two sixes. The pair stitched together an unbroken 91-run partnership for the second wicket after the early loss of Brandon King.
King (22) appeared in fluent touch, striking three fours in the fifth over off Sompal Kami, but miscued soon after and was caught by Kushal Bhurtel off Nandan Yadav at mid-on. That was Nepal’s lone success with the ball as Hope and Hetmyer ensured there were no further alarms.
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Hope’s innings featured authoritative strokes down the ground, while Hetmyer accelerated after a cautious start. The chase was marked by composure rather than risk, reflecting West Indies’ control throughout the contest.
Earlier, Nepal endured a faltering start after being put in to bat. They slipped to 46 for 5 in the 11th over, struggling to cope with disciplined bowling on a fresh surface that offered little assistance to spin.
Akeal Hosein dismissed Kushal Bhurtel (1) in the opening over, and Rohit Paudel (5) fell leg-before to Matthew Forde after a failed review. Aarif Sheikh departed for 2, handing Holder a first-ball wicket with a misdirected shot to fine leg.
Nepal recorded their lowest powerplay score of the tournament at 22 for 3 after six overs. Lokesh Bam (13) and Gulsan Jha (11) also failed to convert starts.
Airee, however, mounted a spirited resistance, striking three sixes and three fours in his 47-ball 58. He found support in Sompal Kami, who added 26 not out, including three consecutive boundaries in the 18th over. Their 54-run stand for the ninth wicket lifted Nepal to a respectable total, though it proved insufficient against a clinical West Indies side.
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