Mumbai: Nepal have a chance to register their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory in 12 years if they beat debutants Italy at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday — a result eagerly anticipated by Nepali fans.

Nepal’s last win in a T20 World Cup came in the 2014 edition in Bangladesh, when they secured a nine-run victory over Afghanistan in the first round.

In that tournament, Nepal defeated Hong Kong and Afghanistan in their first and third matches respectively, while losing to hosts Bangladesh in their second outing.

After debuting in 2014, Nepal had to wait a decade for their next appearance, returning at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.

However, they lost three group-stage matches against South Africa, Bangladesh and the Netherlands while Sri Lanka’ fixture in Florida was washed out.

In their current campaign, Nepal suffered a narrow four-run defeat to England in their opening fixture on Sunday, while Italy were handed a heavy 73-run loss by Scotland.

In terms of ICC Men’s T20I rankings, Italy are placed 27th and are considered among the comparatively weaker sides in the competition. Nepal, by contrast, sit at 16th.

However, rankings offer no guarantee of superiority on the field — performance on the day ultimately determines the outcome.

As Italy coach John Davison rightly noted, “In T20 cricket, one good day from a couple of players can be enough. We hope that day comes against Nepal.”

Captain Rohit Paudel believes his side is well-prepared for the challenge ahead.

“Everyone back home in Nepal wants us to win. The team that handles pressure better will win the game. Italy are a good team and we cannot take anyone lightly. Planning well and executing in crunch situations will be crucial and we are capable of that,” said Paudel.