West Indies aim to go level against Nepal in T20 series

First-time West Indies T20 captain Akeal Hosein and his players will aim to make amends in the second of a three-match T20 series against Nepal on September 29, after the visitors suffered a shock 19-run defeat in the opener at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in United Arab Emirates, two days ago.

The result for the hosts saw them record their first-ever victory over an International Cricket Council (ICC) full member.

The second T20 bowls off from 10.30 am (TT time) at the same venue, and the final contest on September 30, from 11 am.

Despite a mixture of experience and youthful talent – four debutants – in the maroon squad in the opening fixture, Nepal rallied to a welcomed win after successfully defending 148/8, by restricting the Windies to an embarrassing 129/9 from their 20 overs.

Spearheaded by solid knocks from top and middle order batsmen in skipper Rohit Paudel (38), left-handers Kushal Malla (30) and Gulshan Jha (22), and Dipendra Singh Airee (17), Nepal put on a solid showing when they took first strike.

Fast bowler Jason Holder (4/20) was the chief destroyer for the Windies, while leg-spinning T20 debutant Navin Bidaisee (3/29) and left-arm spinning captain Hosein (1/18) were also among the wickets.

In reply, West Indies failed to impress as they were stifled to 129/9, giving Nepal a historic result at home. Bidaisee top scored with 22 on his first Windies assignment while another T20 debutant Amir Jangoo and Fabian Allen scored 19 runs each. Skipper Hosein hit 18, Keacy Carty 16 and Ackeem Auguste 15, also on debut.

An all-round bowling performance from Nepal saw the wickets shared among Kushal Bhurtel (2/17), Nandan Yadav (1/6), Lalit Rajbanshi (1/6), Karan Khatri Chhetri (1/17), Dipendra Singh Airee (1/20) and Rohit Paudel (1/20).

With only three T20 International series left – versus Bangladesh (October 27-30), New Zealand (November 5-12) and South Africa (January 27-February 6, 2026) – before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Windies’ three-match assignment against Nepal serves as a crucial platform for the youngsters to impress.

The team is led by stand-in head coach Rayon Griffith, deputising for Daren Sammy (who is with the Windies Test team in India), with former West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson serving as fast-bowling consultant for the tour.