Mesmerized by Nepal’s Fight Against England in T20 World Cup, Dale Steyn Offers a Helping Hand

Dale Steyn offered to coach Nepal after their narrow World Cup loss to England after R Ashwin praised them as the best emerging cricket nation.

Mesmerized by Nepal’s Fight Against England in T20 World Cup, Dale Steyn Offers a Helping Hand

South Africa legend Dale Steyn offered to coach Nepal following their World Cup heroics against England. (via India Today)

The 2026 T20 World Cup has been exciting so far, with Nepal’s match against England standing out as a highlight. Despite narrowly losing the 185-run chase by four runs, their valiant effort impressed former South African pacer Dale Steyn so much that he offered a ‘helping hand’. 

Many felt Nepal deserved to win against the Three Lions, playing in front of a supportive crowd at the Wankhede Stadium. In fact, Nepalese supporters are one of the largest groups of overseas fans at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India, with their match tickets being the second-most sought after.

They did face an uphill battle as an associate cricketing nation, with pundits having even expected them to concede over 250 runs against England. Opting to bat first, England could only post 184/7 on the board, with contributions coming from Jacob Bethell (55 runs off 35 balls), Harry Brook (53 off 32), and Will Jacks (39 off 18).

Nepal did not get off to a good start during the chase, with Jacks and Liam Dawson removing openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh, respectively, in the powerplay. However, skipper Rohit Paudel (39 off 34) and Dipendra Singh Airee (44 off 29) steadied the ship, bringing up an impressive 82-run third-wicket stands.

Dawson and Sam Curran, however, scalped two quick wickets to derail the chase. It was until Lokesh Bam (39 off 20) catapulted a late charge, hitting four boundaries and two sixes to take his team close to the target. When it came down to just 10 runs needed off the last over, Curran bowled a series of pinpoint yorkers to rescue his team from what might have turned out to be a historic upset for the two-time T20 WC winners. 

Impressed by Nepal’s fearless display and final push, Proteas’ legend Dale Steyn took to social media to offer his guidance and support to the emerging cricketing nation. The 42-year-old retired bowler offered a rather more hands-on gesture of support for the Nepalese cricket team. One of the most feared fast bowlers of all time, Steyn transitioned into a successful coach, having served in various capacities with IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Nepal. I offer my services to you if you ever need em [Nepal]! Up, up and up.

Dale Steyn wrote on X

Nepalese all-rounder Nandan Yadav welcomed Steyn’s offer enthusiastically, calling it monumental for his team to receive assistance from a player of such high caliber. Yadav emphasized his point by noting that Steyn had dominated international cricket for over ten years.

Dale Steyn fires back at fan accusations of India T20 World Cup bias

South African bowling great Dale Steyn hit back at a social media user, who accused him of showing bias against India at the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup. A fan alleged that Steyn’s claims have often carried ‘negative vibes and sentiments’.

Dale Steyn on India-USA
Dale Steyn predicted India to score over 300 runs against the USA, but it went otherwise. (via X)

Interestingly, Steyn had backed India to become the first team to score 300 runs in a T20 WC game, with England being the only other team to have breached the 300-run mark in a T20I against South Africa last year. The 42-year-old’s prediction stemmed from the fact that India has been unstoppable at the moment, evidenced by them crossing the 200-run mark in three of their last five T20Is against New Zealand.

However, Steyn’s prediction of a 300+ total turned incorrect, as the Men in Blue were thwarted in their attempt by an impressive USA bowling effort. India only managed 161/9 in their first innings, while USA finished at 132/8. When confronted by a fan about a perceived bias and ‘negative attitude’ towards the Indian team, Steyn challenged the accuser to provide evidence of such behavior.

Given that batsmen had difficulty scoring on the changed pitch, India and the USA combined for a total of 293 runs in their initial group stage match. Dale Steyn later made a humorous post on social media, pointing out that the match’s aggregate score was close to his original prediction.

Also Read: