The USA won the toss and elected to bowl in Match 12 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Group A encounter was played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on February 10, 2026. This was a rematch of the famous 2024 T20 World Cup game where the USA stunned Pakistan in a Super Over thriller. Pakistan entered the match determined to avenge that defeat, while the USA looked to repeat their heroics.
Pakistan was led by captain Salman Ali Agha with star batters Babar Azam and Saim Ayub in the lineup. Shaheen Afridi played his 100th T20 International in this match. USA was captained by Monank Patel with explosive opener Shayan Jahangir and experienced bowler Saurabh Netravalkar. Ehsan Adil made his T20I debut for USA against his former team Pakistan.
Pakistan posted 190 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan led the charge with a brilliant 73 off 41 balls. Babar Azam contributed 46 off 32 balls and Shadab Khan smashed a quick 30 off 12 balls. USA fought hard but could only manage 158 for 8 in reply. Pakistan won by 32 runs to register their second consecutive victory.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 190/9 | 20.0 |
| USA | 158/8 | 20.0 |
| Result | Pakistan won by 32 runs | |
Pakistan Posts Imposing Total
Pakistan got off to a flying start with openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan. The pair added 54 runs for the first wicket in just over 5 overs. Farhan was the aggressor from the start and hit boundaries at will. Shadley van Schalkwyk then struck twice in the same over to remove Ayub for 19 runs and captain Salman Ali Agha for just 1 run.
Farhan continued his aggressive approach despite the quick wickets. He completed his fifty off just 27 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Babar Azam joined Farhan and the pair added 81 runs for the third wicket. Babar played a composed innings of 46 runs off 32 balls with 4 fours and 1 six. Mohammad Mohsin dismissed Babar with a tumbling catch by Milind Kumar at long-on.
Farhan fell soon after for 73 runs off 41 balls. Harmeet Singh had him caught at long-off by Sanjay Krishnamurthi. Shadab Khan then launched a brutal assault in the death overs. He smashed 30 runs off just 12 balls with 4 fours and 1 six. Van Schalkwyk returned to dismiss Shadab and Faheem Ashraf off consecutive deliveries.
Pakistan lost five wickets in the final two overs. Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan, and Abrar Ahmed all fell in quick succession. Van Schalkwyk finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 25 in 4 overs. Pakistan finished at 190 for 9 which was still a competitive total on this surface.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan | Pakistan | 73 | 41 | 6 | 5 |
| Shayan Jahangir | USA | 49 | 39 | 5 | 2 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 46 | 32 | 4 | 1 |
| Shubham Ranjane | USA | 51 | 30 | 3 | 3 |
| Shadab Khan | Pakistan | 30 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
USA Fall Short Despite Strong Start
USA got off to an excellent start in their chase of 191 runs. Openers Andries Gous and Shayan Jahangir attacked from the first over. Jahangir was particularly aggressive and hit boundaries freely against Shaheen Afridi. USA reached 50 for 1 in just 6 overs with Jahangir leading the charge. Mohammad Nawaz provided the breakthrough by dismissing Gous for 13 runs.
Shadab Khan then took control of the match with a crucial spell. He dismissed captain Monank Patel with a caught and bowled dismissal. Patel scored just 3 runs off 10 balls. Jahangir continued his fine innings and looked set for a match-winning knock. However, Shadab struck again to remove him for 49 runs, just one short of his fifty. Shaheen Afridi took the catch at long-on.
Shubham Ranjane tried to keep USA in the hunt despite the regular wickets. He played some fine shots and kept the scoreboard moving. Ranjane and Milind Kumar added a useful partnership before Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws. The required run rate kept climbing as USA struggled to find boundaries in the middle overs.
Usman Tariq picked up two wickets in quick succession to end any hopes of a USA comeback. Shaheen Afridi then delivered the final blow by trapping Ranjane plumb in front for 45 runs. The review only delayed the inevitable. USA finished at 158 for 8, falling short by 32 runs. Pakistan avenged their 2024 World Cup defeat and moved to the top of Group A.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadley van Schalkwyk | USA | 4 | 25 | 4 | 6.25 |
| Shadab Khan | Pakistan | 4 | 26 | 2 | 6.50 |
| Usman Tariq | Pakistan | 4 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 |
| Mohammad Mohsin | USA | 4 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 |
| Harmeet Singh | USA | 4 | 41 | 1 | 10.25 |
Player of the Match: Sahibzada Farhan
Sahibzada Farhan won the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings of 73 runs off 41 balls. He struck 6 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 178.04. Farhan set the tone for Pakistan’s innings with aggressive batting from the start. He reached his fifty off just 27 balls and continued to attack even after losing partners at the other end.
His partnership of 81 runs with Babar Azam was crucial in taking Pakistan to a winning total. Farhan also completed 1000 runs in T20I cricket during this innings.
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