Kathmandu: Nepal concluded its campaign in the Group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup cricket tournament with a loss to Bangladesh by 21 runs in a match held at Arnos Vale Stadium in Vincent, West Indies. With this match, the Group D standings have been finalized, with South Africa and Bangladesh advancing to the second round.

South Africa topped the group with eight points, followed by Bangladesh with six points, securing their spots in the Super Eight stage. Unfortunately, Nepal, along with the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, were eliminated from the tournament at the group stage.

Match Highlights
Nepal's Bowling Performance:
Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fastest Nepali bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 International cricket. He reached this landmark in his 54th match by taking two wickets in the game against Bangladesh. This was Lamichhane's second match in the ongoing World Cup. His achievement comes close to Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, who holds the record for the fastest 100 wickets in 53 matches.

Bangladesh's Batting:
Bangladesh, invited to bat first after losing the toss, managed to score 106 runs before being bowled out in 19.3 overs. Nepal's bowlers put up a good fight, but Bangladesh's Tanzim Hasan shone with the ball, taking four wickets.

Nepal's Batting Struggle:
In reply, Nepal struggled with their batting and were all out for 85 runs in 19.2 overs. Kushal Malla was the top scorer for Nepal with 27 runs off 40 balls, including one four and a six. Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 25 runs from 31 balls with two fours and a six, while Asif Sheikh added 17 runs from 14 balls with four fours. However, other Nepali batsmen failed to reach double digits.

Kushal Bhurtel scored four runs, while Rohit Kumar Poudel and Sandeep Jora were dismissed for one run each. Anil Shah, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Abhinash Bohora were all out for zero runs, marking a disappointing batting performance for Nepal.

Bangladesh's Bowling:
Bangladesh's bowlers performed exceptionally well to restrict Nepal. Tanzim Hasan's four-wicket haul was instrumental in dismantling Nepal's batting lineup. Sakib Hasan took two wickets, and Taskin Ahmad added one wicket to seal the victory for Bangladesh.

Group Stage Conclusion
With this loss, Nepal exits the tournament along with the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, while South Africa and Bangladesh advance to the next round. Despite the early exit, Sandeep Lamichhane's record achievement provided a silver lining for Nepal in the T20 World Cup.

Upcoming Matches:
South Africa and Bangladesh will now focus on their preparations for the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup.