Watch: West Indies great inspires Nepal captain with touching words after T20I upset

Nepal made history on Monday, 29 September, stunning the West Indies with a dominant 90-run win in Sharjah to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match T20I series. For the senior men's team, it was a momentous first: defeating a Test-playing nation in their inaugural bilateral series against one. The celebrations were made even sweeter by a heartwarming post-match gesture from former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, who singled out Nepal captain Rohit Paudel for praise, calling him an "extremely good leader."

Bishop, who hosted the post-match presentation, paused to address Paudel directly after hearing the Nepal captain's comments. In a gesture widely celebrated on social media, Bishop said:

"I don't usually do this. But I know that the country needs this, the team needs this. Rohit! Very, very well done. For a young man, you are an extremely good leader."

The legendary bowler's graciousness stood out, despite the West Indies suffering one of their most significant defeats in T20I history.

Nepal's landmark triumph unfolded at the Sharjah Cricket Ground, where the Rohit Paudel-led side entered the record books by becoming the first associate member to claim a T20I series win over a full ICC member nation. The 90-run victory in the second T20I ensured Nepal an unbeatable 2-0 lead and a huge boost in confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup qualifiers.

"We are very happy. It took a lot to win against a Test-playing country. After two days, winning a bilateral series feels really great," Rohit said.

"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," he said.

NEPAL HAMMER WI BY 90 RUNS

Asked to bat first, Nepal's top order faltered early. Kushal Bhurtel fell for two, followed by captain Paudel for three, both dismissed by West Indies skipper Akeal Hosein. The situation worsened with the run-out of Kushal Malla, reducing Nepal to a precarious 43-3. Despite the setbacks, opener Aasif Sheikh anchored the innings with a composed, unbeaten 68 off 47 balls - his eighth T20I half-century - while Sundeep Jora counter-attacked, smashing 63 from 39 deliveries, including five sixes and three fours.

The pair added 100 runs for the fourth wicket, rescuing Nepal from collapse and lifting the team to 173-6 after 20 overs. Their partnership set a platform that firmly shifted the momentum in Nepal's favour.

Chasing 174, the West Indies batting unit imploded from the outset, slumping to 38-4 within nine overs against a clinical Nepal bowling attack. Debutant Mohammad Aadil Alam emerged as the chief architect of their downfall, finishing with figures of 4-24. Part-time leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel supported with 3-16, ensuring the West Indies innings folded for just 83 runs in 17.1 overs. Only three West Indian batsmen – Jason Holder (21), Ackeem Auguste (17) and Amir Jangoo (16) – reached double figures, underscoring Nepal's dominance.

Nepal's fielding was of the highest order with Kushal Bhurtel and Karan KC taking blinders.

The victory was met with celebration among a vibrant Nepali crowd in Sharjah. The series win stands as one of the most significant achievements in Nepal cricket history.

The two teams will meet in the final T20I on Tuesday. Nepal will fancy their chances of clean sweeping the series.

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