Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Newcomers Italy bowled Nepal out for 123 runs in 19.3 overs in their Group C fixture of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Asked to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal suffered an early setback when opener Kushal Bhurtel (5) was dismissed off the final ball of the second over with just eight runs on the board.
Captain Rohit Paudel (23) and Aasif Sheikh (20) attempted to steady the innings, but both were dismissed within the space of three balls. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee (17) and Aarif Sheikh (27) offered some resistance, putting together a brief partnership to rebuild the innings. However, Nepal’s lower order collapsed quickly. Karan KC scored 11 off 17 balls, while the remaining batters failed to reach double figures.
Nepal, which appeared on course for a modest total, slumped from 93/4 in 13.5 overs to 123 all out in 19.3 overs.
Chrishan Kalugamage claimed three wickets for Italy, while Ben Manenti took two. Ali Hasan, JJ Smuts, and Jaspreet Singh chipped in with one wicket each.
