ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Associate Nation has already delivered its fair share of drama, but few moments have captivated the Wankhede crowd quite as much as the tactical chess match played under Mumbai lights. In the decisive match of Group C on 12 February, Chrisan Kalugamage of Italy Presented a distribution of complete witchcraft to dismiss NepalCharismatic all-rounder, Deependra Singh AiriTilting the momentum strongly in the Azzurri’s favor.
Italy decided to field first in the 17th match of the tournament – a decision that looked inspired as they restricted Nepal to a sub-par total in conditions that usually favor the batsmen. While Nepal showed flashes of brilliance, they struggled to find their rhythm against a disciplined Italian bowling unit who used Mumbai’s humid air to their advantage.
Deepender Singh became the victim of Ari Krishan Kalugamage’s googly in the T20 World Cup 2026 game.
The decisive moment of the first innings came in the 14th over. With the experienced Airey at the crease, Nepal were looking to settle down and launch attacks in the late overs. Airey, known for his ability to clear the ropes, had a patient dismissal with 17 runs from 18 balls and was beginning to look dangerous.
In 13.5 overs, Kalugamage bowled what many are calling “the group stage ball”. Coming off the back of the hand with high arm action, Kalugamage bowled a blazing googly which went back sharply at an angle. Ari committed to a full drive through cover, misjudging the length and direction of the turn. The ball passed through the gap between bat and pad and kissed the top of the off-stump with surgical precision.
There was a momentary silence in Wankhede before the Italian team erupted. It was a “stunning delivery” that left Airy looking at his broken stumps in disbelief. This wicket broke the back of the Nepalese middle order, reducing their score to 93/4 and dashing any hopes of a score above 150.
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Nepal struggled to post competitive scores as Italian bowlers dominated
Despite a bright start, Nepal’s innings lacked important partnerships. 45 runs scored for loss in powerplay Kushal BhurtelBut the Italian spinners soon tightened the noose. ben manenti were clinical, conceding only 9 runs from their 4 overs and taking two important wickets, while Kalugamage finished with exceptional figures of 3/18.
Nepal captain, Rohit Paudelprovided a brief spark by scoring a quickfire 23 off 14 balls including two fours, but his departure led to a steady decline. Aarif Shaikh (27) tried to strengthen the lower half, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. A late cameo from Karan KCJoe remained unbeaten on 18, taking the total past 100, but the tail offered little resistance.
Nepal were eventually all out for 123 in 19.3 overs, leaving their bowlers facing a major challenge ahead. With Italy’s win chances over 80% at the innings break, Nepal will need an inspired spell Sandeep Lamichhane To survive in this high-risk World Cup encounter.
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