USA humiliate Pakistan with super over win in T20 World Cup

The United States beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup after their Group A match went to a thrilling Super Over finish in Dallas on Thursday.

Both teams made 159 in their regulation 20 overs, with the non-Test nation the United States then setting Pakistan 19 to win in the Super Over.

Pace bowler Saurabh Netravalkar held his nerve as Pakistan, runners-up at the 2022 T20 World Cup and champions in 2009, only managed 13-1 in reply.

Pakistan were restricted to 159-7, with India-born left-arm paceman Netravalkar taking a miserly 2-18, after being sent into bat in their first match of the tournament.

The United States innings ended in dramatic fashion when Nitish Kumar hit a four off a last-ball full toss from Haris Rauf as the tournament co-hosts, who beat Canada in their opening match, finished on 159-3.

Pakistan veteran Mohammad Amir was entrusted with the Super Over but bowled several wides with panic fielding, that led to wild overthrows, also helping the United States score 18 runs.

Netravalkar bowled a wide with the third ball of his Super Over but next delivery he had Iftikhar Ahmed brilliantly caught low down in the deep by Kumar.

And with seven needed off the last ball, Shadab Khan was unable to manage the six that would have forced a second Super Over.

Earlier, Nosthush Kenjige was the pick of the bowlers for the US side whereas Skipper Babar Azam was the top scorer for Pakistan with 44 runs.

Babar Azam and Shadab Khan took the attack to the USA after the Green Team lost three early wickets in the powerplay.

The pair sent Harmeet Singh for a 19-run over before the leggie was dismissed by Kenjige who subsequently got the better of Azam Khan on the next ball.

Runs dried up for the Green Team after they ended the powerplay with a run rate of exactly five. The loss of wickets resulted in attacking shots from skipper Babar however, to no avail.

Shadab and Babar held the fort until the ninth over before Shadab began to attack the American bowler to try and reverse some of the pressure. Two sixes in the first two balls and a boundary off the last from the 10th over helped Pakistan cross the 60-run mark.

Babar departed in the 16th over after he was trapped in front for a leg-before-wicket by Jasdeep Singh with Iftikhar Ahmed following his captain two overs later.

United States captain Monank Patel earlier won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match in Dallas’ Grand Prairie Stadium.

Co-hosts the US came into this match off a stunning opening-day win over arch-rivals Canada, with this game Pakistan’s first in Group A.

Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed by Saurabh Netravalkar in the first over after Steven Taylor caught a blinder in slips.

Usman Khan was the next to depart after Nosthush Kenjige tossed the ball up who skied it to long off and was caught by Nitish Kumar.

Fakhar Zaman followed next after he scooped a mistimed shot to short third man.

Pakistan’s team included Mohammad Amir, 15 years after the left-arm quick starred as a teenager when they last lifted the T20 World Cup trophy. The 32-year-old, who was jailed for spot-fixing in 2011, only recently came out of international retirement.

Rizwan was also listed as Pakistan’s wicketkeeper after Azam Khan struggled behind the stumps during a 2-0 T20 series loss in England.

Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand all-rounder, was in the US middle order.