Having pulled off a miraculous win over former champions Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup, the USA could not script another famous win this time in the 2026 edition of the tournament. Pakistan starred in both departments as they put up a complete performance to defeat the 2024 Super Eight entrants in the Group A clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, on Tuesday, February 10.
Batting first, Pakistan made full use of the conditions that were better at the SSC than the previous days as they posted 190/9 in their 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan provided the team with a solid start, while Babar Azam also put up a fine contribution as the two put the US side under the pump. After losing Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha early, the two put up 81 runs for the third wicket to lay the platform. Sahibzada scored a strong 73 from 41 balls, while Babar made 46 from 32 deliveries.
Shadab Khan helped provide the finishing touches with his 12-ball 30, however, Pakistan lost a few wickets in the end. But they ended up making 190/9 in their 20 overs.
In response, USA never quite managed to keep pace with the required rate. While there were brief moments of resistance in the middle overs, Pakistan’s bowlers applied consistent pressure, striking at regular intervals to derail the chase. The asking rate continued to climb, forcing the American batters into risky shots that resulted in key dismissals.
Shayan Jahangir provided the team with a strong start as he made 49 from 34 balls but the US side kept losing wickets. Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane tried to rekindle hope with their 54-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, with the required rate climbing so up they could not do the job despite Shubham hitting a fifty. USA went down by 32 runs in the end.
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