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Pakistan got off to a flying start as openers Saim Ayub and Farhan put on 54 runs for the first wicket. Ayub fell for 19, but Farhan dominated proceedings, clearing the ropes repeatedly and hitting five sixes and six fours in his 73 off 41 deliveries.
After Salman Agha’s early dismissal, Farhan teamed up with Babar Azam to stabilise the innings. The duo added 81 runs for the third wicket, maintaining a brisk scoring rate.
Babar scored 46 off 32 balls, rotating the strike smartly and punishing loose deliveries. Shadab Khan’s late cameo of 30 off 12 balls ensured Pakistan closed near the 200-run mark.
For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the standout bowler with 4-25, breaking key partnerships. Mohammad Mohsin, Saurabh Netravalkar, and Harmeet Singh claimed one wicket each, but early breakthroughs and middle-over control proved costly.
Chasing 191, the USA started aggressively but lost momentum against Pakistan’s varied attack.
Captain Monank Patel struggled, while Shayan Jahangir top-scored with 49 off 34 balls, supported by Milind Kumar’s 29.
Shadab Khan (2 wickets) and Usman Tariq (3 wickets) curtailed the chase, with Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz taking timely wickets.
Shubham Ranjane’s late 51 off 30 balls added some excitement, but could not prevent defeat.
Pakistan’s 32-run victory avenged their shock defeat to the USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup and reaffirmed their dominance in Group A.
Scorecard: Pakistan 190/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46, Shadab Khan 30; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4-25) beat USA 158/8 (Shubham Ranjane 51, Shayan Jahangir 49; Usman Tariq 3-27, Shadab Khan 2-26) by 32 runs.
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