The Montreal Tigers defeated the Surrey Jaguars by five wickets in the final of the Global Twenty20 League on Sunday night.

Chasing a target of 131 runs, the Tigers got off to a slow start, but Sherfane Rutherford (38 runs) and Chris Lynn (31 runs) put on a crucial partnership of 59 runs to get the team back on track. Andre Russell then hit the winning runs in the final over to seal the victory for the Tigers.

Airee made a valuable contribution of 16 runs off 17 balls, including a four. He retired hurt after being hit on the helmet by a delivery from Iftikhar Ahmed.

Airee’s fellow Nepali cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane was wicketless in his four overs, but he conceded just 21 runs.

Surrey, who lost the toss and batted first, were restricted to 130 runs for five wickets. Opener Jatinder Singh top-scored with 56 runs off 57 balls.

Ayan Khan was the pick of the bowlers for the Tigers, taking two wickets for 23 runs. Carles Braithwaite, Abbas Afridi and Andre Russell each took one wicket.

The victory is significant for the Montreal Tigers, only in their second season in the Global Twenty20 League. It was also a proud moment for Nepali cricket, as Airee and Lamichhane became the first Nepali players to win a significant T20 tournament.

The Global Twenty20 League is a professional cricket tournament played in Canada. It is one of the most prestigious T20 tournaments and features some of the best cricketers from around the globe.