When it comes to West Indies cricket, conversations usually revolve around their dominance in the late 70s to mid-90s or their modern-day success in T20s. Over the past 15 years, West Indian players have been central to global franchise leagues, making them virtually synonymous with the shortest format. For Nepal to defeat such a team—regardless of personnel—marks a historic achievement.
West Indies’ squad announcement for the three-match T20I series in Sharjah initially disappointed Nepali fans. The lineup appeared weaker than the West Indies A side that toured Nepal last year, which featured seasoned campaigners like Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, and Roston Chase. Yet few could have predicted Nepal would clinch the series in the opening two games—one of them with a stunning 90-run margin—despite missing star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in both matches.
In the series opener, Nepal posted 148/6, a total that looked slightly underwhelming. But West Indies faltered against spin, collapsing under pressure to lose by 19 runs. Kushal Bhurtel stole the show with a direct-hit run-out of Kyle Mayers and a spectacular boundary catch to dismiss Fabian Allen off the final ball. Skipper Rohit Paudel top-scored with 38 and took 1/20.
Nepal’s dominance grew in the second match. A 100-run fifth-wicket partnership between Aasif Sheikh (68*) and Sandeep Jora (63) lifted the team to 172/6. Brilliant fielding—three catches from Bhurtel and two from Gulshan Jha—won plaudits from commentators Ian Bishop and Carlos Brathwaite. West Indies limped to 7/2 in the powerplay while chasing, before Aadil Alam (4 wickets) and Bhurtel (3/16) sealed a comprehensive 90-run win. The result extended Sharjah’s remarkable trend: the side batting first has now won nine consecutive T20Is there.
West Indies were undeniably understrength, missing up to eight first-choice players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Shai Hope, Brandon King, and injured duo Alzarri and Shamar Joseph. Still, the victory carried immense weight for Nepal, who had never before won a bilateral series against a Test-playing nation.
This breakthrough arrives after a mixed run—narrow defeats to South Africa and Bangladesh at the 2024 T20 World Cup, a solid tour of Scotland, and a disappointing Top End series. The triumph over West Indies now provides Nepal with confidence and momentum heading into the T20 World Cup Asia-Pacific Regional Final, fueling hopes of more wins against established cricketing nations.