T20 World Cup 2026: West Indies become first team in Super Eight with nine-wicket win, eliminate Nepal

Mumbai: The West Indies thrashed Nepal by nine wickets in a Group C match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, securing their place in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. West Indies now have three consecutive wins to their name and will continue to the next stage of the tournament with a perfect record, having won all three of their group matches. They have become the first team to advance to the next round.

What happened during the match?

The West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first, which proved to be a wise decision. The Caribbean team restricted Nepal to just 133 runs. It was a do-or-die situation for Nepal, but the Caribbean team's impressive performance ended their World Cup campaign on that note. With this impressive victory, the West Indies have proudly secured their place in the Super Eight.

Nepal's batting faltered today, with only Dipendra Singh Airee struggling to deliver a fighting 58 off 47 balls. The West Indies bowlers maintained their line and length from the start, with Jason Holder proving the most lethal. Holder took four wickets for just 27 runs in his four overs, shattering Nepal's middle order. Matthew Ford also bowled very economically, taking one wicket for just 10 runs in his four overs, leaving Nepal to score only 133 for eight in 20 overs.

Chasing a modest target of 134, the West Indies adopted an aggressive approach from the start and achieved the target in just 15.2 overs. Captain Shai Hope batted responsibly, scoring an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls, hitting three sixes and five fours. He was ably supported by Shimron Hetmyer. He played a quickfire innings of 46 runs off 32 balls and shared an unbroken 91-run partnership for the second wicket with Hope. Nepal's star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was quite expensive today, conceding 38 runs in 3 overs without taking a wicket.

What next for the two teams?

Many important records were set and broken in this match, with the West Indies maintaining their unbeaten T20 record at the Wankhede Stadium. Jason Holder was named Player of the Match for his superb bowling performance. With this defeat, Nepal is officially eliminated from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The impressive performances of the Caribbean team's batsmen and bowlers have made it clear that they are entering this tournament as strong contenders. Two teams have been eliminated from the World Cup so far, while one team has already staked its claim to the Super Eight. The winner between India and Pakistan in today's match will secure its place in the Super Eight.