The Rhinos will be requiring 185 runs to upset the Lions, the inventors of the gentleman’s game, at their opening fixture of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Nepal lost the toss against England and were invited to bowl first.

Karan KC started well by giving only five runs in the opening over. And Sher Malla raised the roofs of the Wankhede Stadium, where Nepali fans were present in huge numbers, in the second over by bagging a wicket on his debut ball for the Rhinos, and that too at a World Cup.

Phil Salt (1 off 2) was trying to hit big, but the ball did not connect well with the bat, and he was caught by Sandeep Lamichhane.

At 4.2 overs, with Nandan Yadav bowling, Jos Buttler had cut the ball for a four, which was his fifth boundary of the match. But while Buttler attempted a similar shot in the next delivery, an ample bounce saw him misjudge the shot and get caught behind the stumps. Buttler departed at 26 off 17, leaving the team at 43 runs.

England managed 57/2 at the end of the powerplay. However, the next wicket fell in the very first delivery of the seventh over. And the wicket-taker was none other than Sandeep Lamichhane.

Lamichhane struck Tom Banton's leg before. Banton (2 off 5) reviewed, but the ball was seen hitting the stumps.

Left-handed Jacob Bethell stood tall as Nepal were gaining momentum. Bethell and skipper Harry Brook made a 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Bethell was caught out by Lokesh Bam in the spell of Dipendra Singh Airee at 13.4 overs after smashing 55 off 35, which comprised four fours and sixes each.

Airee again struck with the ball as he clean bowled Sam Curran at 15.3 overs.

It was skipper Brook who kept the scorecard ticking for the Lions. But he too departed after completing his individual half-century.

A six off the first ball of the 19th over by Yadav saw Brook reach 53 off 31, but he was caught out in the next ball, while attempting another maximum, by Malla.

Will Jacks smashed two consecutive sixes off the last over of the inning by Karan KC. Aasif Sheikh missed the stumps while Jofra Archer was asked to run over a missed shot, allowing Jacks to face the last ball of the inning. Jacks then finished off with a six that saw his individual score reach 39 off 18, and the team’s total at 184/7.

In the Captain’s Press Conference last Tuesday, England’s captain Brook had said that the team planned to score over 200 runs, and even reach the 300-run mark, in the World Cup. But that dream could not be realised against Nepal as the English team could not even reach 200.