Openers Seal Italian Job with Stunning Ten-Wicket Victory in Mumbai

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In only their second Cricket World Cup appearance, Italy registered a historic first win, producing a clinical all-round performance to dismantle Nepal by ten wickets in Mumbai. On a worn surface at the Wankhede Stadium, Italy first strangled Nepal with the ball before opening brothers Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca chased down the target with authority, both scoring fluent half-centuries to finish the job with more than seven overs remaining.

Nepal came into the contest as favourites, backed by pedigree at global events and strong crowd support in Mumbai, especially after pushing England close in their opening match. But after being sent in to bat, they struggled to generate momentum on a surface that demanded patience and precision. Aasif Sheikh top-scored with 27 off 24 balls in an underpowered innings that never truly took off.

Italy’s spinners dictated terms superbly through the middle overs. Crishan Kalugamage, Ben Manenti, and JJ Smuts combined to return excellent figures of 6 for 49 from 12 overs, repeatedly breaking partnerships and denying Nepal any chance of acceleration. After a brief recovery, Nepal collapsed sharply, sliding from 93 for 3 to 102 all out, undone by sustained spin pressure and sharp Italian fielding.

Chasing a modest target at just over a run a ball, Italy showed clear intent from the outset. Anthony Mosca hammered his second delivery for a towering six over midwicket, setting the tone for an aggressive but controlled pursuit. After a slightly slower start, Justin Mosca found his rhythm, and the brothers soon began peppering the boundary with smart use of the crease and clean hitting.

Justin brought up his half-century first, reaching the milestone from 37 balls, before Anthony followed with a blazing fifty off just 28 deliveries. Even the early introduction of Nepal’s trump card Sandeep Lamichhane failed to halt the charge, as Italy raced to 68 without loss inside the powerplay and never looked back. Anthony eventually clipped a single into the covers to complete the chase, sealing a record-breaking opening stand between siblings in men’s T20 internationals.

The win was all the more impressive given Italy were without their regular captain Wayne Madsen, with Harry Manenti leading the side in his absence. “Our goal was always to compete at this level,” Manenti said afterwards. “We didn’t quite nail it in the first game, but today we showed the world what we’re capable of.” For Italy, it was a landmark victory that underlined their growing presence on the world stage.