Italy won the toss and elected to bowl in Match 17 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Group C encounter was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 12, 2026. This was the first ever meeting between Italy and Nepal in international cricket. Italy were playing their second match at a T20 World Cup after losing to Scotland in their opening game.
Italy were captained by Harry Manenti with Gian-Piero Meade keeping wicket. Regular captain Wayne Madsen was ruled out due to injury sustained in the Scotland match. Nepal were led by Rohit Paudel with Aasif Sheikh behind the stumps. Nepal made one change with Lalit Rajbanshi coming in for Pratis GC Malla.
Italy produced a stunning all-round performance to record their first ever win at a T20 World Cup. They restricted Nepal to just 123 runs and then chased down the target in only 12.4 overs without losing a wicket. The Mosca brothers scored unbeaten half-centuries as Italy cruised to a historic 10-wicket victory with 44 balls to spare.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 123/10 | 19.3 |
| Italy | 124/0 | 12.4 |
| Result | Italy won by 10 wickets (44 balls remaining) | |
Nepal Collapse After Promising Start
Nepal lost opener Kushal Bhurtel early when Ali Hasan struck in the second over. Bhurtel slapped a delivery straight to Justin Mosca at cover point for 5. Captain Rohit Paudel and Aasif Sheikh then steadied the innings with a partnership of 41 runs. Paudel attacked with 2 sixes in his quick-fire 23 off 14 balls.
Crishan Kalugamage produced a match-winning spell of leg-spin bowling for Italy. He dismissed Paudel on the final ball of the powerplay when the captain holed out to long-on trying to clear the boundary. Kalugamage had Paudel in trouble with his googly and claimed his maiden T20 World Cup wicket. Ben Manenti then stumped Aasif Sheikh for 20 as Nepal slipped to 49 for 3.
Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh tried to rebuild with a partnership of 44 runs. However, Kalugamage struck again with a brilliant googly to bowl Airee for 17. The ball turned back sharply and tickled the top of off stump. Nepal then lost wickets in a heap as they collapsed from 93 for 4 to 102 for 8.
Lokesh Bam fell to Ben Manenti for 3. JJ Smuts dismissed Aarif Sheikh for 27 when Campopiano took a smart catch at deep backward square leg. Kalugamage completed his three-wicket haul by removing Gulsan Jha. Nandan Yadav was run out for a duck. Karan KC hit 18 not out off 11 balls but ran out of partners. Jaspreet Singh dismissed Sandeep Lamichhane for 5 and Lalit Rajbanshi was run out as Nepal were bowled out for 123 in 19.3 overs.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Mosca* | Italy | 62* | 32 | 3 | 6 |
| Justin Mosca* | Italy | 60* | 44 | 5 | 3 |
| Aarif Sheikh | Nepal | 27 | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| Rohit Paudel | Nepal | 23 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Aasif Sheikh | Nepal | 20 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
Mosca Brothers Power Italy to Historic Victory
The Mosca brothers put on a masterclass in power hitting to chase down the target with ease. Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca opened the batting and never gave Nepal a chance. They raced to 50 in just 24 balls and 68 runs at the end of the powerplay. Anthony Mosca was particularly aggressive early on as he launched Karan KC for back-to-back sixes over midwicket.
The Nepal bowlers had no answers as the Mosca brothers continued their onslaught. Even star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane went wicketless and conceded 31 runs from his 3 overs. Justin Mosca reached his fifty off 37 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. He anchored the innings while his brother attacked at the other end.
Anthony Mosca completed his fifty off just 28 balls. He struck 6 sixes and 3 fours at a strike rate of 193.75. The brothers brought up their century partnership in 65 balls. Italy reached the target of 124 in the 13th over without losing a wicket. The victory margin of 10 wickets with 44 balls remaining was comprehensive and emphatic.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crishan Kalugamage | Italy | 4 | 18 | 3 | 4.50 |
| Ben Manenti | Italy | 4 | 9 | 2 | 2.25 |
| JJ Smuts | Italy | 4 | 22 | 1 | 5.50 |
| Ali Hasan | Italy | 3 | 34 | 1 | 11.33 |
| Jaspreet Singh | Italy | 1.3 | 8 | 1 | 5.33 |
Player of the Match: Anthony Mosca
Anthony Mosca was named Player of the Match for his brilliant unbeaten 62 off 32 balls. He struck at a rate of 193.75 and hit 6 sixes and 3 fours. Mosca was the aggressor in the opening partnership with his brother Justin and set the tone for Italy’s run chase from the very first over.
This was a historic victory for Italy as they recorded their first ever win at a T20 World Cup. The comprehensive 10-wicket victory with 44 balls remaining was a statement result. Crishan Kalugamage also deserves credit for his match-winning spell of 3 for 18 that restricted Nepal to a below-par total.
The defeat is a major blow for Nepal who had pushed England close in their opening match. They will need to regroup quickly for their remaining group matches. For Italy, this win gives them belief and momentum as they continue their T20 World Cup journey against stronger opponents.
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