COLOMBO (Dunya News) – Pakistan defeated the United States by 32 runs in their ICC T20 World Cup Group A encounter at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Tuesday, ending a tense contest that had fans on the edge of their seats.
Put into bat after losing the toss, Pakistan posted 190-9 in 20 overs, thanks to a spectacular innings from Farhan, who struck 73 off 41 balls. Babar Azam contributed a steady 46 from 32 deliveries, while Shadab Khan’s late flourish of 30 off 12 balls provided momentum in the death overs. Despite a few middle-order collapses, Pakistan’s total proved sufficient against a competitive USA side.
Pakistan batting
Pakistan’s innings began cautiously. Saim managed 19 before being caught by Netravalkar off van Schalkwyk. Farhan’s counter-attacking innings steadied the ship, hitting boundaries at regular intervals and keeping the run rate healthy. Salman Mirza fell cheaply for 1, and Nawaz added just 5, while Shadab and Babar combined to push the total beyond 130.
The lower order struggled, losing wickets at crucial stages. Faheem Ashraf (1), Usman Tariq (0), and Abrar (0) fell cheaply, but Shaheen Afridi’s unbeaten 9 helped push the score to a challenging 190-9. Pakistan also received 6 extras in total.
Sahibzada Farhan & Babar Azam added 81 off 53 balls for the 3rd wicket #PAKvUSA | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/mVv32UxZY1
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 10, 2026Van Schalkwyk’s 4 wickets for 25 runs were the most successful for the USA, while Mohsin and Harmeet claimed one wicket each. Netravalkar and Milind also chipped in with one each, keeping Pakistan under pressure at intervals.
USA’s chase
Chasing 191 for victory, the USA showed flashes of resistance but could never fully recover from early breakthroughs. Shayan top-scored with 49 off 34 balls, and Shubham made an impressive 51 from 30 deliveries, combining for a few brief partnerships.
However, Pakistan’s bowlers ensured the pressure never eased. Shaheen Afridi struck key blows with the ball, removing Shubham (lbw) and Milind (caught by Tariq) at critical stages.
Shadab Khan’s spin claimed two vital wickets, including Shayan and Monank, while Tariq took three wickets, including Milind and Harmeet, ensuring the lower order could not capitalise.
Other USA batsmen struggled to score freely. Gous made 13, Milind 29, and the tail contributed little, leaving van Schalkwyk and Adil unbeaten on 1 each. Extras added just 5 runs to the total. The Americans finished 158–8, falling short by 32 runs.
Pakistan vs USA
The match was a reminder of the unpredictability of T20 cricket. Pakistan overcame the psychological shadow of their shock defeat by the USA in the 2024 Super Over match in Dallas, with Farhan and Babar’s batting providing a solid platform and Shaheen, Shadab, and Tariq’s bowling keeping the chase in check. Pakistan now maintain their hopes of advancing to the Super Eight stage with their next match against India on February 15 (Sunday), while the USA showed glimpses of their potential but will need more consistency in both batting and bowling to challenge higher-ranked opponents.