T20 World Cup clash
\nUsman Tariq spearheads Pakistan\u2019s bowling with three wickets while Shadab Khan claims two
\n Colombo
\nA combined effort from batters and bowlers powered Pakistan to a 32-run victory over the United States of America (USA) in the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 at Colombo\u2019s SSC Ground on Tuesday.
\nSet to chase a daunting 191-run target, USA could muster 158\/8 in their 20 overs.
\nThe associate nation got off to a decent start to the pursuit as their opening pair of Andries Gous and Shayan put together 42 runs at a brisk pace before Mohammad Nawaz struck, dismissing the former, who made a run-a-ball 13 with the help of two fours.
\nGous\u2019s dismissal halted the flow of runs for USA as captain Monank Patel attempted to anchor the run chase but fell victim to Shadab Khan in the ninth over and walked back after scoring a scratchy three off 10 deliveries.
\nShadab struck again in the next over to dismiss set batter Shayan, who made 49 off 34 deliveries with the help of five fours and two sixes.
\nFollowing the consecutive dismissals, Shubham Ranjane and Milind Kumar (29) attempted to launch a recovery by knitting a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket, which was broken by Usman Tariq in the 16th over with the latter\u2019s scalp. Kumar\u2019s dismissal sparked a collapse as USA lost four more wickets at an alarming rate, including that of set batter Ranjane, who eventually fell prey to Shaheen Shah Afridi in the final over after top-scoring with a 29-ball 51, three sixes and as many fours.
\nTariq spearheaded Pakistan\u2019s bowling charge with economical figures of 3\/27 in his four overs, followed by Shadab\u2019s 2\/26, while Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Shaheen chipped in with one scalp apiece.
\nUSA captain Monank Patel\u2019s decision to field first backfired as Pakistan finished at 190\/9 in their 20 overs.
\nThe Green Shirts got off to a flamboyant start to their innings as their opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub yielded a brisk 54 runs in five overs.
\nShadley van Schalkwyk forced USA\u2019s comeback in the final over of the batting powerplay, during which he struck twice, dismissing left-handed opener Ayub and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha as the former champions slipped to 56\/2.
\nAyub made a 17-ball 19 with the help of two sixes and a four, while Agha made just one of three deliveries.
\nFollowing the back-to-back dismissals, star batter Babar Azam joined opener Farhan in the middle, and the duo batted fluently to stabilise the innings with a platform-setting 81-run partnership for the third wicket.
\nThe stand eventually culminated on the fourth delivery of the 15th over when Mohammad Mohsin sent back Babar, who made a brisk 46 off 32 deliveries, laced with four fours and a six. Pakistan then suffered another major setback in the next over when Harmeet Singh dismissed their batting mainstay Farhan, who remained the top-scorer with a blazing 73 off just 41 deliveries, studded with six fours and five sixes.
\nShadab Khan then shared a one-sided 34-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Nawaz, which came off just 16 deliveries.
\nShadab contributed to the stand with a 12-ball 30, comprising four fours and a six, before falling victim to van Schalkwyk in the penultimate over, during which the right-arm pacer also dismissed Faheem Ashraf (one). Nawaz, on the other hand, perished on the first delivery of the final over as he smashed a fuller delivery from Saurabh Netravalkar straight to Shayan Jahangir, stationed at deep midwicket, and walked back after scoring a scratchy five off 10 deliveries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
T20 World Cup clash Usman Tariq spearheads Pakistan\u2019s bowling with three wickets while Shadab Khan claims two Colombo A combined effort from batters and bowlers powered Pakistan to a 32-run victory over the United States of America (USA) in the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 at Colombo\u2019s SSC Ground on Tuesday. Set to chase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":530724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-530705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n