Nepal Vs Bangladesh, T20 World Cup Highlights: BAN Win By 21 Runs, March Into Super 8s

Welcome to the highlights of our coverage of match 37 of ICC T20 World Cup 2024, played between Nepal and Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent (West Indies) on Monday (June 17). Nepal lost to Bangladesh by 21 runs. The Bangla Tigers needed a win to make their passage to Super Eights certain, and they got it in emphatic fashion on the back of a splendid bowling performance. Nepal bowled out Bangladesh for 106 runs in the first innings, but the Bangla attack returned the favour with interest, skittling Rohit Paudel and Co for just 85. This was the Tigers' third win in the group stage, and one that sealed their passage to the Super Eight. Catch the highlights of the NEP vs BAN match at T20 WC 2024, right here. (Match Report | Scorecard | Full Coverage)

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Playing XIs

Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah, Rohit Paudel(C), Kushal Malla, Sundeep Jora, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Abinash Bohara.

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Litton Das (WK), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.

Rohit Paudel: "We'll bowl first, want to utilize the conditions. The second innings would be difficult because of dew. It was disappointing (loss to South Africa), as a pro cricketer you need to comeback from such a situation. Looking forward to this game. A win will be very important for all in the country who have been supporting us. One change for us, (Sundeep) Jora comes in for today."

Najmul Hossain Shanto: "Very excited. We played well last few games and the boys are very excited to play this game. No changes to our team."

Both teams are striding out to the centre for the national anthems. "Two very proud teams", Alan Wilkins aptly puts it on air.

An inexplicable start from Bangladesh, and a dream one for Nepal. Tanzid Hasan dances down the track for the very first ball to Sompal Kami, only manages a top-edge and the bowler gleefully accepts the offering. Nepal strike right away, and their fans rejoice.

Dipendra Singh Airee cleans up Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Nepal are all over the Bangla Tigers. Experienced campaigners Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das at the crease now. Can Nepal dislodge one of them in the powerplay? Yes, they can! Sompal Kami gets rid of Das, and Bangladesh in all sorts of trouble now.

Rohit Paudel fetches the prized scalp of the talented Towhid Hridoy, who miscues a sweep to short fine leg, where Sandeep Lamichhane takes a very good catch. Bangladesh four down, with the scoreboard not moving quickly either.

Captain Rohit Paudel strikes again. He gets the big fish Shakib Al Hasan this time, trapping the southpaw in front. Bangladesh are wilting amid Nepal's bowling heat, both with pace and spin.

Picking up from where he left things in the previous match against South Africa, Sandeep Lamichhane has been bowling beautifully against Bangladesh. And his efforts result in a lovely dismissal. Tanzim Hasan Sakib survives an LBW call on DRS, but Lamichhane cleans him up off the very next ball with a smartly disguised googly. Bangladesh digging a deeper hole for themselves.

Sandeep Lamichhane bamboozles another Bangla batter, and it is his 100th T20I wicket. Absolute scenes in St Vincent, as Jaker Ali is beaten all ends up by a wrong 'un. The leggie showing why all of Nepal was so insistent on his inclusion in the XI. Meanwhile, Bangladesh are eight down and at serious risk of crashing out of the World Cup.

Dipendra Singh Airee picks up his second wicket, dismissing Rishad Hossain to leave Nepal just one wicket away from bowling out Bangladesh for what could be a paltry total.

Nepal eventually do bowl Bangladesh out, with three balls left in the 20th over. Mustafizur Rahman is run out by a joint effort from Paudel and Airee, and the Bangla Tigers are skittled for (what seems like) a below-par 106-run total. All eyes on the Nepal batting, once again in three nights.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib commences proceedings with the ball for Bangladesh. The right-arm pacer gets prodigious swing and seam movement to keep the batters at bay in the first over.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib is making the ball talk in St Vincent. The charged-up Bangladesh seamer sends back Kushal Bhurtel and Anil Sah in the same over, and concedes no run in it to boot. A bit of a scuffle between Tanzim and Nepal captain Rohit Paudel ensues. Nerves are jangling, it's all happening.

The wickets continue to tumble, as Mustafizur Rahman joins the party, dismissing Aasif Sheikh for 17 to dismantle the Nepal top order. The pacers, led by Tanzim, are wreaking havoc and Nepal need a special effort from middle and lower-order batters to surmount this challenge.

Nothing going to plan for Nepal batters at the moment, as they are five down with just 40 runs on the board after nine overs. Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Malla at the crease currently, and need to rotate strike and build a stand to revive their team from here.

After all the wreckage, Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Malla are trying to slowly bring the Nepal innings back on track. The duo has put together 28 runs off 36 balls and needs to stay there for as long as possible, if Nepal are to produce a historic win today.

Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Malla have batted admirably well to not lose a wicket and also bring the asking rate down to seven. A 12-run over shifts the momentum a bit as it is Bangladesh's turn to look worried. Can Nepal do it?

The stand comes to an end, and Gulsan Jha too falls. Nepal are now staring down the barrel, with 22 needed and a Mustafizur over to come.

Shakib Al Hasan grabs the final wicket as Nepal are bowled out for just 85 runs. Bangladesh are through to the Super Eights with a 21-run win.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib is the Player of the Match for his match-winning four-wicket haul. Here's what he had to say after Bangladesh's win:  

"(On discussion at the interval) We just wanted to keep things simple. We wanted to bowl in good areas and did not want to panic. We knew we could defend this score. Everybody bowled well. As a bowling attack, we bowled well and that is why we defended the score. I just want to be aggressive and execute my plans. We are really excited for the Super Eight. We are very confident about it and hopefully (we can do well). Spin-bowling was tough, and it was not easy to get those runs. We held our lines and lengths, and it worked."

Rohit Paudel: "As a bowling unit, we bowled really well. As a batting unit, we could have done better, especially the top-order batters. We could have batted tighter. Bangladesh bowled really well with the new ball and we were under pressure after that. They were asking us challenging questions. We built a little partnership after that, but top order batters could have done better and taken more responsibility. We need to step up, need to know where to score runs and how to assess conditions. In the field and with the ball, we are up to the mark, we need to improve with the bat. This team has great potential. We need to back each and every player and in the upcoming World Cup, we hope to do better. (On their fans) We are as disappointed as them. We could have crossed (the line) in a few matches. It was heart-breaking for all of us, and we will try to make them happy in the coming years."

Najmul Hossain Shanto: "Very happy the way we played this round. I hope we can continue our bowling performance, not our batting. Hope our batting performance will be fine in the next round. We are not scoring much but we know we can defend totals, if we can pick up early wickets. That is what we told the bowlers and they are very good in the field also. (On the bowling attack) We have everything. All the fast bowlers have worked really hard in the last two or three years. In this format, the bowling unit is very important and I hope they continue their form. (On going into the Super Eight on the back of three consecutive wins) In T20Is, momentum is always important. We have to plan for the next round and execute our plans."

That will be all from us for this match. We will be back with live updates from the forthcoming T20 World Cup fixtures, what with the Super Eights imminent. Until then, goodbye.