England escape a shocking defeat as Nepal’s underdogs come within touching distance before Curran delivers final-over heroics in Mumbai World T20 opener

England’s Twenty20 World Cup opener was supposed to be routine.

A comfortable win, a chance to settle into the tournament, and maybe even make a statement early.

Instead, they ended up clinging on for dear life.

On a weekend filled with near upsets across the competition, England came dangerously close to becoming the latest big-name casualty — only just scraping past Nepal by four runs in a match that felt far too close for comfort.

Nepal Refuse to Play the Role of Minnows

Nepal may be ranked 16th in the world in this format, but they didn’t show an ounce of fear at the Wankhede Stadium.

Chasing 185, they kept finding ways to stay in the game, even when England seemed to have moments where they could slam the door shut.

But the killer instinct never really arrived.

England have been here before in World Cups — they’ve suffered famous T20 upsets against the Netherlands, and Ireland, and were once saved by rain against Scotland.

So the idea of another giant scare was never completely out of the question.

Still, nobody expected it to be this tense.

Lokesh Bam Lights Up the Final Overs

The match exploded late, thanks largely to Lokesh Bam, who played one of the most thrilling cameos of the tournament so far.

With Nepal needing 46 from just 18 balls, Bam went into full launch mode.

He took Jofra Archer apart, smashing two sixes in an over that cost 22 runs — turning what looked like a fading chase into a heart-stopping finish.

It was the kind of late blitz that silences favourites and energises underdogs.

And suddenly, England were staring at the unthinkable.

Sam Curran Holds His Nerve When It Matters Most

Just when things were spiralling, England turned to a familiar rescue act: Sam Curran.

Curran, who was man of the series when England lifted the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022, was handed the final over with 10 runs to defend and Bam fully set.

The pressure was enormous.

But Curran delivered with icy calm — starting with a dot ball, forcing Bam off strike, and denying Nepal the width and freedom they needed.

When Nepal needed six from the final two balls, Bam even turned down a single in desperation. The gamble didn’t pay off.

A mistimed full toss followed, and England escaped with a four-run win.

Barely.

England’s Batting Sets a Big Total — But Not Enough Comfort

Earlier, England had actually posted a strong score: 184 for seven, the highest total of the tournament so far.

On paper, that should have been more than enough.

The pitch, already used and expected to slow down under the sun, was predicted to become harder for chasing teams — just as India had struggled against the United States on the same surface the night before.

England’s total should have been commanding.

Instead, it became a target Nepal nearly pulled off.

Off-Field Drama and On-Field Wobbles

The match also came with plenty of background noise.

Harry Brook admitted the build-up to his first tournament as England captain had been “horrendous,” with ongoing scrutiny surrounding a late-night incident involving a Wellington bouncer before the Ashes.

Brook has acknowledged lying to cover for team-mates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue, and all three are now facing a Cricket Regulator investigation.

Not the kind of distraction a captain wants heading into a major tournament.

And on the field, England’s trusted bowlers struggled badly.

Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer — usually reliable in pressure moments — leaked 84 runs in just seven overs combined, leaving England far more exposed than expected.

McCullum’s New Pressure-Management Approach

One interesting moment came during the chaos at the end.

Coach Brendon McCullum was seen relaying instructions via walkie-talkie to the dugout, a sign that England are trying new communication methods to handle crunch situations.

With the gap between nations shrinking rapidly in modern T20 cricket, these tight finishes may become more common — and England know they must adapt quickly.

A Familiar Pattern England Can’t Ignore

This match will go down as a win, but it felt like a warning.

England have a long history of being dragged into uncomfortable battles against so-called smaller nations in World Cups.

Sometimes they’ve lost. Sometimes they’ve escaped.

This time, it was escape.

But just barely.

What’s Next?

England don’t have much time to breathe.

They face West Indies on Wednesday at the same venue — a much more dangerous opponent with far greater firepower.

If England bowl like they did here, West Indies could punish them far more ruthlessly than Nepal did.

The positive is that they survived and banked points.

The concern is obvious: if they don’t sharpen their execution, the next scare could turn into a full-blown upset.

Summary

England avoided a humiliating World T20 defeat after scraping past Nepal by just four runs in a thrilling opener at Wankhede Stadium.

Lokesh Bam’s explosive late hitting nearly completed a famous chase, but Sam Curran defended the final over brilliantly to secure victory.

Despite posting the tournament’s highest score, England’s bowlers struggled, and off-field distractions continue to hover.

The narrow escape serves as an early warning ahead of a tougher clash with West Indies.