February 12, 2026 –Italy vs Nepal History was made at the Wankhede Stadium as tournament debutants Italy clinicaly dismantled Nepal to record their maiden win in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In what was expected to be a celebration for the massive Nepali diaspora in India, the Mosca brothers turned the party into an Italian festival, chasing down a target of 124 without losing a single wicket.
Italy vs Nepal Match Overview: A Tale of Two Brothers
Italy’s stand-in captain Harry Manenti, leading in place of the injured Wayne Madsen, won a crucial toss and elected to bowl. The Italian bowlers immediately justified the decision. Ben Manenti (Harry’s brother) delivered a “Bumrah-esque” spell, conceding only 9 runs in his 4 overs. However, the wrecker-in-chief was Crishan Kalugamage, whose variations bamboozled the Nepal middle order, including the prized scalp of Dipendra Singh Airee. Nepal was eventually bundled out for a disappointing 123.
What followed was one of the most dominant opening stands in T20 World Cup history. Anthony and Justin Mosca—Italy’s own “Brothers of Destruction”—attacked from the first ball. They raced to 68/0 in the Powerplay and never looked back. Anthony finished with a blistering 62 off 32 balls, while Justin anchored with 60 off 44, sealing the win with 44 balls to spare.
Match Scorecard: Detailed Statistics
1st Innings: Nepal Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Kushal Bhurtel | c Anthony Mosca b Harry Manenti | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Aasif Sheikh (wk) | st Meade b Kalugamage | 19 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 126.67 |
| Rohit Paudel (c) | c Meade b Kalugamage | 21 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 116.67 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | b Kalugamage | 17 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 94.44 |
| Aarif Sheikh | c Campopiano b Smuts | 27 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 112.50 |
| Lokesh Bam | c & b Ben Manenti | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Gulshan Jha | c Harry Manenti b Kalugamage | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Karan KC | c Meade b Jaspreet Singh | 15 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 136.36 |
| Nandan Yadav | run out (J. Mosca) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | c Stewart b Jaspreet Singh | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55.56 |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | run out (Harry Manenti) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 5) | 7 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (19.3 Overs) | 123 | RR: 6.31 |
Italy Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Ben Manenti | 4.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Crishan Kalugamage | 4.0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 4.50 |
| Harry Manenti | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Jaspreet Singh | 3.3 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 7.14 |
| Grant Stewart | 3.0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 9.33 |
| JJ Smuts | 2.0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 10.00 |
2nd Innings: Italy Batting (Target: 124)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Anthony Mosca | not out | 62 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 193.75 |
| Justin Mosca | not out | 60 | 44 | 5 | 3 | 136.36 |
| JJ Smuts | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Harry Manenti (c) | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 1) | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (12.4 Overs) | 124/0 | RR: 9.79 |
Nepal Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Karan KC | 2.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 3.4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 6.27 |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | 1.0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19.00 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | 3.0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 10.33 |
| Nandan Yadav | 1.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 |
| Kushal Bhurtel | 2.0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
Post-Match Analysis: Key Takeaways
1. The Spin Twins
While Nepal usually relies on Sandeep Lamichhane, it was the Italian spinners who stole the show. Ben Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage extracted significant bounce and grip from the red-soil Wankhede surface, finishing with combined figures of 5/27 in 8 overs.
2. Opening Excellence
The Mosca brothers provided a masterclass in modern T20 opening. While Anthony was the aggressor, clearing the long-on boundary with ease, Justin ensured they didn’t lose momentum by rotating the strike and finding gaps during the few dot-ball periods Nepal managed to string together.
3. Nepal’s Middle-Order Collapse
Nepal went from 46/1 to 102/8 in a span of 10 overs. The lack of communication, highlighted by two unnecessary run-outs, suggested that the pressure of being favorites against an Associate nation took its toll on the Rhinos.
4. Tactical Captaincy
Harry Manenti’s bowling changes were impeccable. Bringing on Kalugamage immediately after the Powerplay broke the back of Nepal’s innings just as Rohit Paudel was starting to look dangerous.
Player of the Match: Crishan Kalugamage
For his outstanding spell of 3/18, which included the wickets of Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel, and Dipendra Singh Airee—the heart of Nepal’s batting lineup.