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Mumbai, India — For most of a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon in Mumbai, the Wankhede Stadium felt closer to Kathmandu than India’s southern metropolis as thousands of Nepalese fans sang, danced and dared to dream while their cricket team took on the mighty England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

A sea of red and blue replica shirts heaved in every nook and corner of the iconic 33,000-capacity venue, with supporters turning the famed Indian stadium into their adopted home.

A banner, saying “Feel the Thrill” stretched across stands and captured the mood perfectly as chants, drums and Nepali tunes echoed throughout the ground.

From children arriving with flags painted on their faces to elderly supporters proudly wearing the traditional Dhaka topi – a traditional Nepalese hat – fans of all ages turned up for what felt like a cricketing festival drenched in Nepali culture.

‘We almost won’

On the pitch, Nepal’s players delivered one of their most memorable performances in recent years, with the match ending in heartbreak as the team’s spirited chase fell agonisingly short on the final ball.

With the odds stacked heavily against them, Nepal walked out to face two-time champions England fully aware of the vast gulf in experience and pedigree compared to their opponents.

They hoped, though, that their hunger, intensity and fearless approach to the game could keep them firmly in the contest.

Chasing a challenging target of 185, the Rhinos proved why they are one of the most promising teams in associate cricket, as Lokesh Bam’s late heroics, coupled with Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee’s onslaughts, pushed the contest to the last ball.

“We almost won but couldn’t go through because the players lack experience,” Nepal fan Subodh Dhakal, who travelled from Kathmandu, told Al Jazeera. “Experience will come with time, but the team played well.”

Dhakal, a doctor and passionate Nepal supporter, planned a quick two-day trip to attend the match with his wife, after watching the Nepal Premier League – the domestic league whose growth has been central to the nation’s progress in the sport.

Like Dhakal, Satyam Pokhrel also made his way to Mumbai from the Nepalese capital. Joined by a group of friends, Pokhrel revealed his plans to stay for the remaining three Nepal games, all of which are scheduled at the same venue.

“Nepal had a really good chance [to win], but were unlucky,” he said. “The match was very close; I’m proud of the team. They showed great energy and are capable of winning the upcoming games.”

Sunday’s heroics against England were not the first time Nepal troubled stronger opponents. Five months before the World Cup, they beat the West Indies 2-1 in a three-match series — their first bilateral series victory over a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) — while in 2024 they came within a run of upsetting South Africa at the T20 World Cup.

Nepal’s debut at the tournament, in 2014, led to a famous win over a highly-rated Afghanistan team.

‘Don’t count us out’

For many in the stands, being part of the atmosphere required journeys just as memorable as the match itself.

Bhuvan Rawal travelled from Tikapur in far-western Nepal, spending three days on the road to reach Mumbai by bus.

“I wasn’t bothered by the time or money taken to come here. Watching Nepal play at a World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” said the 26-year-old.

“I’ve come with around 200 to 300 supporters from Nepal. We were aware of the match schedule since last year and were excited to be at Wankhede Stadium… Mumbai is our second home now!”

Rawal, who played cricket in his younger years and works as a gym trainer, believes lowly-ranked teams such as Nepal aren’t just here to make up the numbers at the expanded 20-team T20 World Cup.

“We may be a small country, but Nepal is very beautiful and can play wonderful cricket. I understand there’s a difference between full ICC members and associate teams, but don’t count us out.

“No team is too small to challenge the giants,” he said.

A NEW theatre is coming to the UK and it is set to be the largest in England.

Given the green light for London, a new 3,000-seat theatre is set to be built in Greenwich.

The theatre will be on the eastern side of Greenwich Peninsula and will be split into two auditoriums, each with 1,500 seats.

Once complete, the Troubadour Theatre will overtake the London Coliseum with 2,359 seats, as the biggest theatre in the capital, as well as England.

It won’t quite be the biggest in the UK though, as that title will remain with the Edinburgh Playhouse, which has 3,059 seats.

Construction on the new theatre is expected to start this June and take nine months to complete.

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The Troubadour already operates two other theatres in London – one in Wembley Park and the other in Canary Wharf, which opened in October last year and is currently home to The Hunger Games: On Stage.

At Troubadour Wembley Park, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express is currently playing.

The Greenwich theatre wouldn’t be permanent though, as planning permission has only been granted for a decade, after which the land would be used for tower blocks of flats.

These plans form part of the Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan, which will make the area “an expression of the world’s boldest architects”.

The development will span across 195 acres and create 17,500 homes.

There will also be 47 acres of open public space which will include a creative hub.

New shops and office spaces will open too, with a focus on the creative industries.

A large part of this will be a new Design District.

And there will be The Tide – a mile long park for pedestrians and cyclists with access to the riverfront.

The whole development is then set for completion in 2043.

There have been a number of new openings in the area recently as well including The Dial – a three-floor microbrewery.

On the lower floor, visitors will find a tap room home to brewing facilities.

The first floor is then focused on live sports screenings and the top floor is where visitors will find a rooftop bar with a terrace.

In May last year, The Telegraph revealed how Greenwich had become one of London’s “loveliest spots”.

The publication said: “Greenwich’s riverside pubs, bustling market and impressive museums make it the ideal place for a weekend escape (even if you live in London).”

One of the main attractions of Greenwich is its sprawling green park – which if you climb to the top of, you will find the spot where the Prime Meridian line splits the globe in two.

Here you can explore a museum as well as head inside a planetarium.

For a bite to eat, head to Greenwich Market Food Court to pick up some street food.

It is open daily and features a range of cuisines including Indian, Sicilian and Ethiopian.

Near the riverfront, you will also find a ship seemingly suspended in mid air.

The Cutty Sark used to carry tea from China to London, with the first voyage taking place in 1870.

Known as a clipper – which is a fast, three-masted sailing vessel – the ship spent eight years in the tea trade.

Visitors can explore the ship, with tickets costing £22 per adult and £11 per child.

In other theatre news, here are all the best theatre shows for kids coming to the UK in 2026 – from Dogman to Spongebob and Great Showman.

Plus, here’s how to get cheap theatre tickets in London for top West End shows.