In a nail-biting encounter, the USA defeated Pakistan in a Super Over showdown at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday. The match was tied after 20 overs, with the USA managing to level the score on the last ball of the final over.
In the Super Over, the USA successfully defended a 19-run target, winning the match by 5 runs. Earlier, Pakistan had posted a 160-run target, thanks to a 72-run partnership between Babar Azam and Shadab Khan. However, the USA bowlers restricted Pakistan to 159-7 in the allocated overs.
The USA got off to a brilliant start with the ball, sending Pakistan’s top-order batsmen back to the pavilion for just 26 runs. However, Babar Azam and Shadab Khan steadied the ship, putting Pakistan back in the game. Shaheen Afridi provided crucial runs down the order, helping Pakistan conclude their innings at 159-7.
The USA captain, Monank Patel, had opted to bowl first, citing that chasing is easier at the venue. His team did just that, tying the score on the last ball of the final over and eventually winning the match in the Super Over.
This historic win for the USA marks a significant upset in the T20 World Cup 2024, with Pakistan being one of the favorites to reach the semi-finals. Pakistan has reached the semi-finals six times in the past (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2021, and 2022).
Playing XIs:
USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (capt, wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan
Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf
