Nepal Aims to Defeat Italy and End 12-Year World Cup Win Drought

Nepal will take on Italy today in their second match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, hoping to secure their first World Cup victory in 12 years by defeating the associate nation.

The Group C encounter between Nepal and Italy is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. local time at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both teams are seeking their first win of the tournament, having been defeated in their opening matches — Nepal lost to England, while Italy were beaten by Scotland.

For Nepal, this will be their first official T20 International meeting with Italy, although the two sides met in a one-day match at the ICC World Cricket League Division Three in 2013, where Nepal won with eight wickets in hand.

Since that victory, Nepal has not managed to beat Italy again and have gone without a World Cup win since their 2014 campaign, when they notched victories over Hong Kong and Afghanistan.