T20 World Cup: USA Beats Pakistan in Historic Super Over Triumph

In an unprecedented upset at the T20 World Cup, the United States Cricket Team triumphed over cricket heavyweight Pakistan in a thrilling super over match held in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Thursday.

The US team, already riding high after a seven-wicket victory over Canada in their opening game, etched their names into cricket history by beating the 2022 runner-up Pakistan. This victory is particularly significant in a country where cricket is not widely understood.

Aaron Jones, who played a pivotal role with a 40-ball unbeaten 94 against Canada, once again rose to the occasion. His crucial knock of 36 not out off 26 balls pushed the game into a super over. Jones hit a six off Haris Rauf, followed by Nitish Kumar’s boundary on the final ball, tying the score at 159 and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

In the super over, Pakistan faltered as their experienced fast bowler Mohammad Amir, chosen over Shaheen Shah Afridi, gave away 18 runs, including seven runs off wide balls. Jones capitalized on this, smashing a boundary against Amir. On the other side, left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar, who had earlier taken 2-18 off his four overs, conceded only 13 runs in the super over, sealing the historic win for the US.

During the regulation game, the US looked set to stun Pakistan, with skipper Monank Patel scoring 50 off 38 balls and Andries Gous adding 35. Their partnership of 68 runs for the second wicket brought the home team to 104-1 in 13 overs. However, Pakistan staged a comeback, dismissing both set batters in successive overs, eventually leaving the US at 159-3.

Patel and Gous initially faced little trouble from Pakistan’s four-man pace attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, and leg-spinner Shadab Khan struggled as well. However, Amir’s slow off-cutter led to Patel being caught behind, and Rauf clean bowled Gous. Despite Rauf’s efforts in the final over, Jones and Kumar managed to push the game into a super over with two crucial hits off the last three balls.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued, as they struggled against disciplined US seam bowling after Patel elected to field. Steven Taylor’s brilliant one-handed catch dismissed Rizwan early, and Nosthush Kenjige’s left-arm spin (3-30) troubled the Pakistani batters further, reducing them to 26-3 in the fifth over.

Babar Azam (44) and Shadab Khan (40) tried to regain momentum with a 72-run stand, but Kenjige broke the partnership, and Azam Khan fell to Kenjige immediately after. Babar, who surpassed Virat Kohli as the world’s leading T20 run-getter, looked off-form in his 43-ball innings before falling lbw to Jasdeep Singh.

Late hitting from Shaheen Shah Afridi (23 off 16 balls) lifted Pakistan’s total in the death overs, but it was not enough to prevent a historic victory for the US Cricket Team. This win marks a significant milestone and promises an exciting future for cricket in the United States.