Two years ago, Nepal drew global attention with a spirited performance, losing to South Africa by just one run in a group-stage match of the ICC T20 World Cup. Since then, Nepal secured back-to-back wins against two-time world champions West Indies in a T20 series and suffered a narrow four-run defeat to England in this very World Cup. All these results raised an important question – has the standard of Nepali cricket truly risen?

It is true that Nepal rarely got opportunities to play against stronger teams. But whenever it did, it played fearlessly. Nepal’s aggression in batting, discipline in bowling, and energy in fielding often earned praise even from foreign players.

Perhaps that confidence led captain Rohit Kumar Paudel, after the four-run loss to England, to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide Nepal with two or three series a year against top teams like Australia, England, and India. However, after suffering an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat to Italy in the same World Cup on Thursday, Rohit admitted, “Consistency was very important for us. But we couldn’t show that against Italy. There is no shame in accepting this.”

Nepal and Italy were not unfamiliar opponents in cricket. Though the format differed, Nepal had defeated Italy every time in 50-over One Day Internationals. In the 2004 ICC World Cup Qualifier (Division), Nepal won by a convincing margin of 88 runs. Six years later, in Division Four, Nepal secured a thrilling six-run victory. In 2013 Division Three, Nepal made a strong statement with a two-run win.

Asif Sheikh batting against Italy. Photo: Nepal Photo Library

Until now, Nepal had dominated Italy. But on Thursday, Nepal suffered an unexpected defeat. When Nepal first played the T20 World Cup in 2014, it defeated Hong Kong and Afghanistan. When Nepal returned to the World Cup in 2024, hosted in the USA and West Indies, Italy was in a rebuilding phase. So what did Italy accomplish in the past two years that left Nepal humiliated today?

By bringing in 15 immigrant players for the World Cup, Italy has shown Nepal that more hard work is needed. In Thursday’s match, Nepal appeared weak in all three departments – batting, bowling, and fielding.

Italy’s head coach John Davison held up a clear mirror to Nepal’s standing, which had competed strongly against England in the previous game.

Without saying much, he had remarked before the match against Nepal, “This is a big opportunity for us. We will try to turn this opportunity into a win. In T20, sometimes one or two players shining is enough.”

Italy’s Justin Mosca, left, Anthony Mosca, right, encourage each other as they bat during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Italy and Nepal in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

His words proved true on Thursday. In bowling, three spinners – Benjamin Manenti, JJ Smuts, and Crishan Kalugamage – excelled. In batting, the Mosca brothers, Anthony and Justin, played aggressively, teaching Nepal a lesson on how to perform on the big stage. Nepal failed to bat out its full 20 overs, and Italy chased down the target of 124 runs with 44 balls to spare.

Nepali bowlers failed to take a single wicket. For Italy, Manenti conceded just nine runs in four overs and took two wickets; Smuts gave away 22 runs in four overs and claimed one wicket; and Kalugamage picked up three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. In batting, Justin remained unbeaten on 60 off 34 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. Anthony, facing two fewer balls than Justin, smashed three fours and six sixes to remain unbeaten on 62.

This was not just a record partnership by the Mosca brothers in Italy’s international cricket history, but also a historic victory. Italy registered their first-ever win in the World Cup. With this win, Italy’s chances of reaching the Super 8 stage have strengthened considerably, while Nepal’s hopes have grown slim.

Nepal will now play its remaining two World Cup matches against West Indies on Sunday and Scotland on Tuesday. Italy, meanwhile, will face England on Monday and West Indies next Thursday.