New Delhi: cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar Praise has been paid to Italy after their historic first T20 World Cup victory, celebrating how the sport has spread to new countries.Tendulkar wrote on
Italy, famous for its football, defeated Nepal by 10 games at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Italy, making its debut in the World Cup, eliminated Nepal for just 123 runs on the back of a stellar performance from spinners Krishan Kalugamachi and Ben Manetti. Italy’s openers, brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca, then chased down the wicket with ease, hitting the boundary at will to end the game with plenty of ball to spare.For Italy, it was a special moment after losing their first game to Scotland. Stand-in captain Hari Mananti called the victory a dream come true. “It’s really remarkable. It’s something that a lot of people in Italy, a lot of people in this community dream of,” he said. “We weren’t quite there the other day, but today we backed up and showed the world what we have.”The man of the match Kalugamachi said the win means a lot to him and his teammates. “I always want to help the team win a game and do my best for my country Italy – I’m happy,” he said. “These are my brothers. I’m really happy,” he added.Nepal captain Rohit Paudel admitted his team’s poor performance but praised Italy’s performance. “We need to be more consistent and today is the day to prove that, but without taking credit away from Italy,” he said. “They played really well today and credit has to be given to them,” he said.The victory propelled Italy to the top of the group table and showed that even a new cricketing nation can have a huge impact on the world stage.
