Dipendra Singh Airee (58) and Sompal Kami (26 not out) found a late surge to lift a struggling Nepal to 133 for 8 against the West Indies in their Group C match of the T20 World Cup
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MUMBAI — Dipendra Singh Airee (58) and Sompal Kami (26 not out) found a late surge to lift a struggling Nepal to 133 for 8 against the West Indies in their Group C match of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
Barring Airee, who struck three sixes and as many fours for his 47-ball 58, Nepal batters cut a sorry figure on a fresh Wankhede Stadium’s deck which did not assist spin much nor was two-paced.
If not for Airee’s dogged knock and Kami’s late strikes, including three consecutive fours in the 18th over, Nepal would have finished at a far lesser total owing to an insipid show from their specialist batters earlier.
Unperturbed with ordinary cricket from specialist batters around him, Airee gave a fine display of application and aggression, punishing any loose delivery in his hitting arc while his running between the wickets was sharp.
Nepal had slipped to 46 for 5 in the 11th over, failing to find any momentum whatsoever on a batting-friendly track, with poor shots and lack of application continuing to haunt them.
The slide began for Nepal as early as the first over when Kushal Bhurtel (1) was cleaned up by Akeal Hosein. Hosein’s arm ball kept angling into the big-hitting right-hander who was cramped for room, playing a totally wrong line.
Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel (5) had only himself to blame when he missed connecting with a leg-side flick, with Matthew Forde’s ball that was angled in crashed into his pads.
Paudel reviewed the on-field decision against him but the replays showed the ball would have grazed the leg-stump.
But perhaps the worst shot came from Nepal No. 5 Aarif Sheikh, who guided an outside leg-stump delivery from Jason Holder (4/27) straight to fine-leg, giving the former West Indies captain a first-ball wicket.
From the other end, Forde continued to test Nepal batters outside the off stump but to his misfortune, he could not find an edge despite being persistent with his line and length.
At 22 for three after the end of the sixth over, Nepal had recorded the lowest powerplay score for this T20 World Cup.
Forde did, however, bowl a wicket-maiden fourth over and took a fine catch at midwicket to dismiss Aarif Sheikh (2) off Holder with the sun in his eyes.
Nepal's hero in the clash against England, Lokesh Bam (13) fell cheaply again and Gulsan Jha (11) flopped as well. But a 54-run stand between Airee and Kami gave Nepal much-needed impetus, albeit late in the innings.