T20 World Cup: Mosca brothers shine as Italy thrash Nepal by 10 wickets to seal maiden victory

Completing the match within three hours, Italy showcased their dominant side and secured a historic maiden victory in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, thrashing Nepal by 10 wickets in their Group C encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

It was a massive result for the tournament debutants. Despite suffering a 73-run defeat against Scotland in their opening match, Italy ensured they made a statement in their second outing. Nepal, who had pushed England to the brink in their previous game and lost by just four runs, were comprehensively outplayed by the Azzurri in Mumbai.

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Led by a disciplined bowling effort from Crishan Kalugamage (3/18) and Ben Manenti (2/9), Italy restricted Nepal to 123 all out in 19.3 overs. Openers Anthony Mosca (62)* and Justin Mosca (60)* then chased down the target without losing a wicket in just 12.4 overs.

Nepal won the toss and opted to bat first but suffered an early setback as Kushal Bhurtel struggled for runs and was dismissed for five in the second over. Captain Rohit Paudel and Aasif Sheikh steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership, taking Nepal to 46 at the end of the powerplay.

Italy struck back immediately after the powerplay, removing both set batters in quick succession. Paudel scored 23 off 14 balls, while Aasif made 26 off 21. Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh later added 41 runs for the fifth wicket, but Italy tightened the screws again with rapid strikes that derailed Nepal’s innings.

Aarif top-scored with 27 off 24 balls, while Karan KC added an unbeaten 18 off 11, but Nepal were bowled out for 123 with three balls remaining. Alongside Kalugamage and Manenti, JJ Smuts, Ali Hasan, and Jaspreet Singh also picked up a wicket each.

In reply, the Mosca brothers made light work of the chase, producing an unbeaten opening stand to seal the victory. Anthony Mosca smashed 62 off 32 balls, while Justin Mosca struck 60 off 44 as Italy reached the target with more than seven overs to spare.

The win keeps Italy’s Super 8s hopes alive after their heavy opening loss to Scotland. Nepal, meanwhile, suffered their second consecutive defeat after their narrow loss to England, leaving their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.