Nepal’s cricket team has etched its name in history with a stunning performance against the West Indies. On September 29th, at the Sharjah Cricket Ground, they clinched an unassailable 2-0 lead in their T20I bilateral series, delivering a crushing 90-run victory in the second match. This momentous achievement saw the Rohit Paudel-led squad shatter multiple records, becoming the first associate team ever to win a bilateral series against the West Indies in any format. Their dominant 90-run win also stands as the largest victory margin by a non-Test playing team, a testament to their remarkable progress.
Winning the toss, Nepal elected to bat and posted a formidable total of 173 runs, recovering impressively despite losing three early wickets. Crucial half-centuries from Asaif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora were instrumental in setting this competitive target.
The West Indies’ chase quickly unraveled. Their batting lineup spectacularly collapsed, managing only 83 runs against an aggressive Nepalese bowling attack. Mohammad Aadil Alam was the standout performer, ripping through the opposition with four key wickets, ably supported by Kushal Bhurtel, who claimed three wickets.
This triumph is particularly significant as it marks Nepal’s inaugural bilateral series victory against a full-member team. While they’ve faced Test-playing nations in larger multi-national tournaments before, this is their first head-to-head series win, underlining their growing stature in international cricket.
This emphatic 90-run victory shatters previous records. It surpasses Afghanistan’s 81-run win over Zimbabwe in 2016 (before Afghanistan gained Test status in 2017) as the largest victory margin by a non-Test playing team. Among current associate nations, Namibia’s 55-run victory against Sri Lanka in the 2022 T20 World Cup was the previous benchmark.
This impressive performance comes after Nepal’s recent disappointment of missing out on the 2025 Asia Cup, which historically included three associate teams. The team also narrowly missed a major upset at the 2024 T20 World Cup, losing to South Africa in a thrilling last-over contest.
Looking ahead, the ambitious Asian team will now turn its attention to the Asian-EAP qualification tournament for the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be held in Oman from October 8-17.
For the West Indies, this series defeat is another blow in a challenging year for their international cricket. The Caribbean squad is scheduled to face India in a two-match Test series in just three days, following a difficult period that saw them bowled out for a mere 26 runs against Australia in a Test match and endure a 5-0 T20I series whitewash against the same Australian team at home.
The stage for this historic upset was set on September 27th, when Nepal secured a 19-run victory over the West Indies in the first T20I, paving the way for their dominant performance in the second match.