Pakistan beat USA by 32 runs to stay top of Group A

KATHMANDU: Pakistan continued their impressive run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, securing a comprehensive 32-run victory over the United States in a Group A encounter played on Tuesday night.

The win marked Pakistan’s second consecutive triumph in the tournament, strengthening their position at the top of the group standings.

Chasing a daunting target of 191 runs, the USA were restricted to 158 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Shubham Ranjane fought hard with a well-compiled half-century, while Shayan Jahangir narrowly missed his fifty with 49 runs.

Milind Kumar also chipped in with 29, but the American batting lineup failed to keep pace with the required run rate.

Pakistan’s Usman Tariq delivered a match-defining bowling performance, claiming three crucial wickets to derail the chase.

Earlier, Pakistan posted a challenging total of 190 for 9 after being put in to bat. Opener Sahibzada Farhan was the standout performer, producing a blistering knock of 73 off just 41 balls, decorated with six fours and five sixes.

Captain Babar Azam provided stability with a composed 46 from 32 deliveries, while Shadab Khan’s explosive late cameo of 30 runs off 12 balls pushed Pakistan to a formidable total.

For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, but his effort proved insufficient to contain Pakistan’s aggressive batting display.

With this victory, Pakistan have moved to the top of Group A with four points from two matches.

India sit second with two points from one win, while the Netherlands are third, also on two points but trailing on net run rate. Namibia and the USA remain winless at the bottom of the table.

Group A features Pakistan, India, the Netherlands, Namibia, and the USA.

With back-to-back wins, Pakistan have significantly strengthened their chances of progressing to the next stage of the tournament.