Carlos Nunes Blasts 67 Off 30 as Portugal Edge Past Sweden in Stockholm

Portugal beat Sweden by 12 runs in the 119th match of 143 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season at Botkyrka Cricket Center, Stockholm. This was the first-ever T20I meeting between the two sides, and Carlos Nunes ensured Portugal took the bragging rights with a devastating 67 off 30 balls that dragged his team from 72/4 to a competitive 169/8. Sweden’s Wynand Boshoff hit an unbeaten 47 off 27 in the chase, but couldn’t find enough support as Portugal’s bowling attack held firm in the death overs.

First Innings – Portugal 169/8 (20 overs)

Sweden won the toss and elected to bowl, and the decision looked a sound one early on. Dhavalkumar Norotam got Portugal off to an aggressive start with 29 off 21 balls including six fours, but his dismissal at 43/1 in the sixth over brought Sharn Gomes to the crease. Gomes contributed 20 off 21 before falling caught at 64/2 in the 10th over, and Chad Potgieter followed almost immediately for 10, caught at 65/3 just two balls later.

Jordan Pereira Netto managed just 7 off 5 before being caught at 72/4 in the 11th over, and Portugal were in trouble at the halfway stage. Natim Hassam added 12 before being bowled at 96/5 in the 14th over, but by then Carlos Nunes was into his stride.

Nunes transformed the innings. Batting at six, he smashed 67 off just 30 deliveries with five fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 223. He put on 35 with Edward Fleming (15 off 16) before Fleming was run out at 131/6 in the 18th over. Nunes kept swinging through to the final over, finally falling run out at 165/7 off the penultimate ball. Md Siraj Nipo smacked a four off the last delivery to push the total to 169/8.

For Sweden, Samiullah Rahmani was the pick of the bowlers with 2/35 from his four overs, while Zain Muzaffar took 2/36. Advait Dhabe was the most economical with 1/26 at 6.50 per over.

Second Innings – Sweden 157/8 (20 overs)

Sweden’s chase started poorly. Ajay Mundra crawled to 4 off 10 balls before being caught at 15/1 in the third over. Saeed Ahmed (16 off 17) and Awais Ahmad (23 off 21) steadied things briefly, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Ahmed went at 43/2 in the seventh over, Ahmad at 56/3 in the 10th, and Yatharth Chauhan (12 off 11) was caught at 75/4 in the 12th.

Imal Zuwak (20 off 18) added 18 with Boshoff before being run out at 93/5 in the 14th over, exposing the lower middle order. Boshoff found a willing partner in Rahmani (11 off 7) as they pushed the total to 122, but Portugal struck twice in the space of two deliveries – Rahmani caught at 122/6 off the third ball of the 17th over, and Zaid Ahmad LBW for a duck off the very next ball at 122/7.

Zabiullah Zahid launched a late counterattack with 14 off 6 balls, including two fours and a six, but was stumped at 142/8 in the 18th over. Boshoff finished unbeaten on 47 off 27 with four fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 174, but Sweden fell 12 runs short.

Md Siraj Nipo led Portugal’s bowling with 2/23 from four overs at an economy of 5.75. Edward Fleming chipped in with 2/31, while Natim Hassam took 1/15 from his single over despite an economy of 15.

Statz MVP – Carlos Nunes

Carlos Nunes earned the Statz Match Impact rating of 102.78 – the only player to break the 100 barrier in this match. The Statz Match Impact formula calculates impact based on match context, and Nunes’ effort with the bat was the clear standout. Walking in at 72/4 in the 11th over with his side in trouble, he single-handedly turned the innings around with 67 off 30 balls. No official Man of the Match was awarded.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Carlos Nunes (POR) – 102.78 – Match-defining 67 off 30 balls with five fours and four sixes, rescuing Portugal from 72/4.
2. Samiullah Rahmani (SWE) – 74.66 – All-round contribution with 2/35 bowling and a quickfire 11 off 7 in the chase.
3. Wynand Boshoff (SWE) – 72.69 – Unbeaten 47 off 27 in a losing cause, the lone resistance in the chase.
4. Zabiullah Zahid (SWE) – 67.97 – Contributed 1/32 with the ball and hit a rapid 14 off 6 in a late cameo.
5. Edward Fleming (POR) – 66.91 – Genuine all-round display with 15 off 16 batting and 2/31 with the ball.

Turning Point

The double strike at 122/6 and 122/7 in the 17th over sealed Sweden’s fate. Samiullah Rahmani was caught off the third ball of the over, and Zaid Ahmad followed LBW for a golden duck off the very next delivery. Sweden went from needing 48 off 22 balls with five wickets in hand to needing 48 off 21 with just three. Only Wynand Boshoff remained as a genuine threat, and the asking rate of nearly 14 per over proved too much despite Zabiullah Zahid’s late fireworks.

Match Context

This was the 119th match of 143 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season, and the first-ever T20I between Sweden and Portugal. Portugal sit 40th in the ICC T20I rankings with a rating of 76. Sweden’s ranking was not available. The result gives Portugal a 1-0 head-to-head lead. Sweden entered the match having won their last home T20I against Finland and will be looking to bounce back, while Portugal continue their solid 2026 form having won three of their last four T20Is.

Full scorecard on Statz