DALLAS: The United States of America (USA) edged past Pakistan in the Super Over to claim a historic upset victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium here on Thursday.
The USA scored 18 runs in the Super Over as Mohammad Amir bowled three wide balls, which cost seven extra runs. Aaron Jones (11) got out on the last ball.
From Pakistan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman came out to bat, but the former got out courtesy of a brilliant catch after hitting one boundary.
Shadab Khan replaced Ahmed on the crease and played the remaining balls as Pakistan managed only 13 runs in the Super Over. Fakhar Zaman could not play a single delivery.
The match was tied when Nitish Kumar hit Haris Rauf for a boundary on the last ball of the innings to level the scores.
The USA had a solid start to the chase, thanks to a 36-run partnership between Steven Taylor and skipper Monank Patel.
Naseem Shah removed Taylor, who scored 12 off 16, to force Pakistan’s comeback, but Andries Gous and Patel knitted a solid partnership to keep the hosts in the hunt.
Together they added 68 runs from 48 balls to push the team’s total to 104 before Haris Rauf castled Gous to break their momentum.
Gous scored 35 runs from 26 balls with the help of five boundaries and one six.
Patel also fell in the next over after scoring 50 off 38, featuring seven boundaries and one six.
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Jones then played a brilliant 36-run cameo off 26 balls with the help of two boundaries and two sixes to help his team level the scores.
For Pakistan, Shah, Rauf and Amir claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, the Green Shirts were invited to bat first and were reduced to 26-3 in 4.4 overs, courtesy of USA’s brilliant bowling and fielding efforts.
Shadab Khan joined a struggling Babar Azam, who was playing at 2 from 10 balls and launched a counterattack after settling down.
Khan switched gears and hit Jasdeep Singh for two consecutive sixes in the tenth over, while Azam ended the over with his first boundary.
However, the USA made a comeback with two consecutive wickets to reduce Pakistan to 98-5 in 12.5 overs.
Shadab Khan scored 40 runs from 25 balls with the help of three sixes and one boundary.
Babar Azam added 27 runs for the sixth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed before falling to Jasdeep Singh after scoring a gutsy 44 off 43.
Iftikhar Ahmed scored 18 off 14, while Shaheen Afridi played an unbeaten cameo of 23 runs from 16 balls to push Pakistan’s total to 159-7 in their allocated 20 overs.
For the USA, Nosthush Kenjige claimed three wickets, while Saurabh Netravalkar bagged two.