India: Nepal captain Rohit Paudel said that after their match against England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the team learned how to handle pressure in difficult situations.
Source: onlinekhabar
With that learning and increased maturity, Nepal will face Italy in their second group-stage match on Thursday after three days of rest and practice. Italy, playing in their first-ever World Cup, lost their opening match to Scotland.
• The Nepali cricket team will play their second group-stage match against Italy on Thursday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
• Captain Rohit Paudel said the team has learned to handle pressure after the match against England and morale is high.
• Italy is playing in the World Cup for the first time, and captain Wayne Madsen is unlikely to play due to injury.
Nepal also lost their first match against England. Therefore, both Nepal and Italy will be searching for their first win. The winning team will keep their Super 8 hopes alive, while the losing team will face a difficult path to qualification.
An interesting fact is that Nepal and Italy are meeting again in cricket after 13 years. The two teams previously faced each other in the ICC Division 3 tournament in 2013, but that was a 50-over match.
Thursday’s game will be their first-ever T20I encounter. After 13 years, Nepal will again be looking for a win against Italy, and also chasing their first World Cup victory in 12 years. Nepal has not won a World Cup match since defeating Afghanistan in 2014.
Targeting First World Cup Win in 12 Years
Despite losing narrowly to England, Nepal received global praise for their performance. However, due to limited exposure, the team must continue focusing on handling pressure against any opponent.
Captain Rohit Paudel said team morale is high ahead of the upcoming match.
“We have already played against one of the best teams in the World Cup, and that has boosted our confidence for the match against Italy,” he said.
Although Italy is ranked 27th in ICC T20I rankings, Nepal will not take them lightly. Italy is not only an emerging cricket nation but also has experienced players who have played in Australia and South Africa.
Rohit Paudel has made it clear that Italy will not be underestimated.
“Every team playing in the World Cup is strong. Italy has also been performing well recently, so we won’t take them lightly,” Rohit said during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Indeed, although Italy lost their opening World Cup match to Scotland, they had previously defeated Test nation Ireland and strong associate teams like Namibia and Canada before the tournament. Therefore, Italy is capable of causing an upset.
Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup through the European qualifiers. Playing on a stage like the World Cup can bring pressure, which may have contributed to their loss against Scotland. They are expected to come stronger in the second match.
Italy suffered an early setback as experienced captain Wayne Madsen injured his shoulder and left the field during the first match. He is unlikely to play the second match.
Italy’s coach John Davison expressed excitement about playing at Wankhede in front of Nepali supporters.
“Facing a big crowd is not new for us. Such an atmosphere is rare, so we’ve told our players to enjoy it,” Davison said. “Playing in front of 35,000 Nepali fans is a better experience than an empty stadium.”
Davison added that in T20 cricket, one or two outstanding performances can change the match, and Italy will take the field with confidence against Nepal.
Head-to-Head
Italy is playing their first-ever World Cup after qualifying through the European qualifiers. They are ranked 27th in the ICC T20I rankings and have emerged as a promising cricket nation in recent times.
Nepal has never played Italy in T20Is. Their only previous meeting was in 2013 in the ICC Division 3 50-over tournament, where Nepal defeated Italy.
After 13 years, Nepal will again seek victory in a different format.
If Nepal defeats Italy, it will mark their first T20 World Cup win in 12 years.
Before the World Cup, Italy played a T20I series against Ireland and managed to win one match despite losing the series.
Team Combination and Probable Playing
In their first match, Nepal played with two pacers, two spinners, and an extra batter. Sompal Kami remained on the bench, while Sher Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, and Nandan Yadav played.
Nepal is likely to continue with the same combination at Wankhede.
However, since Italy has many right-handed batters, Nepal might consider bringing in Lalit Rajbanshi in place of a pacer or spinner. Otherwise, changes are unlikely.
Deependra Singh Airee has recently been batting at number four, strengthening Nepal’s middle order.
On the other hand, Italy is forced to make at least one change as captain Wayne Madsen is injured. Saeed Naqvi may replace him. Other changes seem unlikely.
Nepal Probable
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel, Deependra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Lokesh Bam, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla/Lalit Rajbanshi, Sandeep Lamichhane
Italy Probable
Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Grant Stewart, Ben Manenti, Harry Manenti, Saeed Naqvi, JJ Smuts, Krishan Kalugamage, GP Miede, Thomas Draca, Ali Hassan
Players to Watch
For Nepal, opener Kushal Bhurtel will be one to watch. In the first match, he fearlessly attacked bowlers like Jofra Archer and provided a strong start. His performance in the powerplay could set the tone for the entire innings.
Deependra Singh Airee is expected to deliver another strong all-round performance. In bowling, Sandeep Lamichhane and Nandan Yadav will be key players.
For Italy, JJ Smuts will be a crucial player. With experience playing for South Africa, Smuts can deliver match-winning all-round performances.
The Mosca brothers (Justin and Anthony) and the Manenti brothers (Ben and Harry) will also be players to watch.
