In a thrilling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Nepal clinched a historic victory over Scotland, marking their first win in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup since 2014. The match, held on February 17, 2026, saw Dipendra Singh Airee shine with a remarkable half-century, leading Nepal to a seven-wicket triumph in their final Group C fixture.

Chasing a target of 171 runs, Nepal's innings began cautiously, with only 26 runs scored in the first four overs. However, the openers, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh, quickly found their rhythm, amassing 56 runs in the powerplay, their highest ever in T20 World Cup history.

Bhurtel's aggressive batting included a flurry of boundaries. Still, the momentum shifted when Scotland's Michael Leask struck thrice in quick succession, dismissing Bhurtel (43), Sheikh (33), and rival skipper Rohit Paudel (16), leaving Nepal at 98 for 3.

With the pressure mounting, experienced campaigner Airee stepped up, scoring an unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls. His explosive batting included two consecutive sixes off Leask in the 16th over, which significantly changed the game's dynamics. Gulsan Jha also played a crucial role, contributing vital runs as the pair guided Nepal towards victory.

Earlier in the day, Scotland had set a competitive total of 170 for 7, thanks to a stellar innings from Michael Jones, who scored 71 runs. Despite a strong start, Scotland faltered in the latter stages, losing six wickets for just 39 runs in the final overs. Pacer Sompal Kami was the standout bowler for Nepal, taking three wickets for 25 runs, including a spectacular caught and bowled to dismiss Brandon McMullen.

He was well complemented by fellow medium pacer Nandan Yadav, who also mixed his cutters and yorkers well to account for two wickets, while Kami ended with a third. However, a last-ball six from Watt took Scotland to a round total of 170.

As the final over approached, Nepal needed 15 runs to win. Jha's boundary secured the victory with four balls to spare, sending the sea of Nepali fans into a frenzy. This win not only marked a significant achievement for Nepal but also concluded their T20 World Cup campaign on a high note, leaving both teams with a single victory in the tournament.

Brief Scores (Group C League Match): Scotland 170/7 in 20 overs (Michael Jones 71, Brandon McMullen 25, Sompal Kami 3/25, Nandan Yadav 2/34) lost to Nepal - 171/3 in 19.2 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 50*, Kushal Bhurtel 43, Michael Leask 3/30) by 7 wickets.

Player of the Match: Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal)

Photo Cover: Nepali fans turned up in large numbers to support their team in all their four Group C league matches (Photos courtesy ICC)

Photo Above: Associate member Nepal which nearly upset two times former champions England in their opening T20 World Cup Match, finally came good against Scotland with a thrilling seven wicket win in their final Group C league tie at Wankhede stadium on Tuesday night