The Aryavarth Express
Richie Berrington Credits Nepal After Historic T20 World Cup Win, Praises 20-Team FormatMumbai (Maharashtra): Richie Berrington, captain of Scotland national cricket team, credited Nepal national cricket team and star batter Dipendra Singh Airee after Nepal secured their first-ever T20 World Cup victory with a seven-wicket win at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Scotland posted 171 in the first innings but were outplayed by Nepal, who chased down the target in 19.2 overs. Airee’s unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls proved decisive, steering Nepal to a historic triumph in the 2026 edition of the tournament.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Berrington acknowledged Nepal’s disciplined bowling in the closing stages of Scotland’s innings, which restricted them to what he described as a competitive but slightly under-par total.
“A lot of credit to Nepal for the way they bowled in the back end of our batting innings. They made it really tough to get boundaries in those last few overs. We felt 170 was competitive, but we probably left a few runs out there,” Berrington said.
He added that despite confidence drawn from Scotland’s earlier bowling performance against England, Airee’s explosive knock shifted the momentum firmly in Nepal’s favour. “It was a fantastic innings. He completely changed the momentum. We’ve seen him do it before, and he deserves full credit for the way he played today,” he said.
Berrington also praised the 20-team T20 World Cup format, highlighting the strong performances of Associate nations on the global stage. He emphasized that increased exposure and more fixtures against top-tier teams are essential for growth.
“It’s fantastic to see another 20-team World Cup. The associates have shown again what they can do. For us, more exposure and more matches against bigger teams will only make us better. We’ve proven we can compete at this level,” he added.
Match Summary
Scotland began strongly, racing to 52/0 in the powerplay. However, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel broke an 80-run stand by dismissing George Munsey for 27. Michael Jones anchored the innings with a fluent 71 off 45 balls, guiding Scotland to 131/1 in 15 overs.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the 16th over when Sompal Kami struck twice, removing Jones and Brandon McMullen. Scotland managed just 39 runs in the final five overs, finishing on 170/7, with Kami returning impressive figures of 3/25.
In reply, Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh gave their side a flying start, putting on 74 runs for the first wicket. Though Michael Leask broke the partnership, Airee and Gulsan Jha combined for an unbeaten 73-run stand to seal the victory.
The win marks a landmark moment for Nepal cricket, underlining the growing competitiveness of Associate nations in the expanded global tournament.
