In a surprising turn of events, the USA cricket team stunned former champions Pakistan with a Super Over victory in the T20 World Cup match, underscoring the challenges facing the Asian giants in their cricketing endeavors.
This outcome draws parallels to Pakistan’s historic upset by Ireland in the 2007 ODI World Cup, which saw their premature exit from the tournament.
USA now leads Group A with two wins from as many games, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash against India. They had previously defeated Canada by seven wickets in their tournament opener.
Opting to bowl first, USA’s left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige proved pivotal with three wickets for 30 runs, restricting Pakistan to 159 for seven as they struggled to accelerate.
In reply, USA mirrored Pakistan’s score, finishing at 159 for 3, led by captain Monank Patel (50 off 38), Aaron Jones (36 not out off 26), and Andries Gous (35 off 26).
In the Super Over, bowled by Mohammad Amir, USA amassed 18 runs, with skipper Saurabh Netravalkar’s disciplined bowling securing a memorable victory by conceding just 13 runs.
Pakistan faced further embarrassment as delays entering the Super Over involved on-field umpire intervention, overshadowing their performance.
Earlier, USA’s decision to field paid dividends as Mohammad Rizwan fell early, caught by Steven Taylor off Netravalkar (2/18). Patel’s aggressive batting set the tone, complemented by Gous’s assertive play.
Despite a spirited effort from Pakistan’s Shadab Khan (40 off 25) and Babar Azam (44 off 43), Kenjige’s timely strikes—removing both in successive deliveries—swung momentum back to USA.
The match also saw contributions from Aaron Jones and late-order batsmen, ensuring USA’s competitive edge throughout the encounter.
