NEPAL bowled out the West Indies for 83 in the second T20I in Sharjah on Monday to secure a 2-0 lead in the series and their first-ever bilateral win against a Test-playing nation, with one match left.
Batting first, Nepal made 173 for six in 20 overs with half-centuries from Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora. The bowlers then dismissed the West Indies in 17.1 overs to win by 90 runs.
Mohammad Aadil Alam finished with 4-24 while Kushal Bhurtel took 3-16 in just 2.1 overs of leg spin.
This was the biggest margin of victory for an associate member against a full member. West Indies’ 83 was also the lowest total by a full member against an associate side.
"We are very happy. It took a lot to win against a Test-playing country," Nepal captain Rohit Paudel said. His side had won the first match on Saturday by 19 runs.
"After two days, winning a bilateral series feels really great. The way we've been playing the last two or three years, lots of eyes are on us. We want to continue this way and play more against Test-playing nations," he said.
Nepal’s innings was built on a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket between Aasif Sheikh, who remained unbeaten on 68, and Jora, who scored 63 off 39 balls with five sixes.
West Indies were reduced to 23 for three and, after recovering to 63 for four in the 12th over, collapsed to 83 all out.
"For us, it's just about understanding really fast that this is international cricket," said West Indies captain Akeal Hosein. "If you try to benchmark yourself here and can't match the level, then you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you're really international material."
The defeat comes two months after West Indies were bowled out for 27 by Australia in a Test match, the second-lowest score in Test history. The two-time T20 World Cup winners also failed to qualify for the 2023 50-over World Cup and are currently outside the qualification places for 2027.
The third match is on Tuesday, with Nepal aiming for a 3-0 sweep.
"We want to finish the series on a high note," said Paudel. "The motivation is to complete a clean sweep but for that, we have to start again from the beginning. We want to carry this momentum into the qualifiers, and we want to qualify for the 2026 World Cup."
(With inputs from agencies)
