Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: T20 World Cup debutants Italy thrashed Nepal by 10 wickets in their Group C fixture of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Fielding first, Italy restricted Nepal to 123 in 19.3 overs and chased down the target without losing a wicket in 12.4 overs.
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 fell within the space of three deliveries. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee (17) and Aarif Sheikh (27) offered some resistance. 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 despite the slow start, 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.
In reply, Italy made light work of the chase. Openers Mosca brothers hammered Nepali bowlers all around the ground to secure a memorable win. Anthony Mosca remained unbeaten on 62 off 32 balls. He struck three fours and six towering sixes. Justin Mosca finished not out on 60 off 44 deliveries, hitting five fours and three sixes.
Nepal’s spinners struggled on a pitch where the Italian slow bowlers had earlier strangled the Nepali batting lineup. Sandeep Lamichhane conceded 31 runs in his three overs, Lalit Rajbanshi gave away 19 runs in a single over, and Nandan Yadav conceded 12 runs in the only over he bowled.
Nepal will next face the West Indies in their third group-stage match on Sunday.
