MUMBAI: West Indies will look to maintain their winning momentum and cement their position at the top of Group C when they take on a struggling Nepal in a T20 World Cup clash at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.
The Caribbean side has won both its matches so far and leads the group with the best net run rate of 1.625. Another victory would further strengthen its grip on the top spot as it eyes qualification with momentum firmly on its side.
With a fixture against Italy in Kolkata to follow, West Indies know that successive wins in these two games will ensure they finish as Group C toppers. However, they cannot afford to lower their guard. Despite Nepal’s underwhelming campaign so far, the Associate nation has shown glimpses of resilience in patches and could look to spring a surprise.
West Indies will therefore need to balance confidence with caution, ensuring they avoid complacency and remain focused on the task at hand.
Nepal, who had beaten West Indies 2-1 in a T20I series last September, are coming off a deflating loss against Italy and will be keen to put their best foot forward.
While West Indies entered this T20 World Cup largely under the radar, partly due to series defeats to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa in the lead-up, that narrative is quickly changing. Their performances so far have been authoritative, suggesting a side that has quietly regrouped and rediscovered its rhythm at the right time.
The two-time champions beat Scotland by 35 runs in their tournament opener and followed it up with a commanding 30-run win over England. On both occasions, different players stepped up, a hallmark of a well-settled side, and head coach Daren Sammy would be pleased with how the team has begun to come together.
Shimron Hetmyer’s aggression at No. 3 has been complemented by the dependable presence of Roston Chase at No. 4, while Sherfane Rutherford has also emerged as a key contributor, making a decisive impact with the bat against England.
West Indies, however, would hope their seamers find ways to succeed on the Wankhede pitches, which have assisted spinners in the four matches played at the venue so far.
Nepal, on the other hand, face the challenge of putting their crushing 10-wicket defeat to Italy behind them and regaining composure ahead of a crucial outing. While the road ahead looks bleak for the Himalayan nation in their quest to make the Super Eight, having lost both their matches, there is still plenty to fight for.
The fact that Nepal have not recorded a win in the T20 World Cup since 2014, something they came agonisingly close to achieving against England, is likely to motivate the players, who had a collective off day in their previous match.
Nepal’s batters lacked resolve against Italy when the bowlers dried up runs with an accurate display of spin bowling. When it was their turn to bowl on the same track, the Rhinos made some questionable tactical decisions.
Their best spinner was held back for the first five overs in a low-scoring game, with Italy having already crossed the 50-run mark by the time Sandeep Lamichhane was introduced into the attack.
With the batters having carried much of the responsibility in the earlier outing against England, it is now Nepal’s bowlers who must step up with sharper planning and tighter execution.
Teams (from):
West Indies: Shai Hope (c & wk), Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.
Nepal: Rohit Paudel (c), Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Kushal Bhurtel, Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Nandan Yadav.
The match starts at 11.00 am IST.