The USA made history in cricket by stunning Pakistan with a Super Over victory in a nail-biting contest at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

By PakPassion Staff (6th June, 2024)

Co-hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, the United States engineered one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history by defeating the 2009 champions Pakistan in a Super Over showdown on Thursday.

After being put into bat on a challenging surface, Pakistan stumbled to 159 for seven, losing early wickets at 26 for three and then 98 for five. In their chase on a pitch that turned favorable for batting, the USA reached 104 for one in 13 overs before Pakistan mounted a comeback, leaving the home side needing 15 runs off the last over.

Although Haris Rauf conceded only three runs off the first three deliveries, he gave away 11 runs off the last three deliveries, resulting in the USA tying the match at 159 for three.

In the Super Over, Mohammad Amir bowled a nine-ball over, and the USA scored 18 runs. In reply, the USA’s left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar displayed remarkable composure, conceding only 13 runs and picking up the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed in an eight-ball over.

This marked the USA’s biggest victory in their 31-match history, while for Pakistan, it was one of the most shocking results in their 242-match career. Just a couple of weeks earlier, the USA had also clinched a 2-1 series win against Bangladesh and defeated Canada by seven wickets in their tournament opener.

Thursday’s stunning outcome can be compared to Zimbabwe’s victory over Australia in the 2007 event, the Netherlands' triumph over England in the 2009 and 2014 tournaments, Afghanistan’s win over the West Indies in the 2016 tournament, and Namibia’s upset over Sri Lanka in the 2022 competition.

With two wins in two matches, the USA now faces Ireland and India, while Pakistan's upcoming match against India on Sunday could be crucial for their Super-Eight stage qualification hopes. Pakistan will also face Canada on June 11 and Ireland on June 16.

A significant 68-run second-wicket partnership between captain Monank Patel and Andries Gous set the stage for the USA’s historic victory. Patel scored 50 off 38 balls, while Gous contributed 35 off 26 balls.

Following Gous' dismissal to Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir accounting for Patel, the USA reached 111 for three in 14.1 overs, but Aaron Jones and Nitish Kumar's unbroken 48-run partnership guided them to victory.

In the earlier part of the day, Pakistan struggled to 159 for seven, with Shaheen Shah Afridi's quickfire 23 not out and Iftikhar Ahmed's 18 being their notable contributions. Despite Babar Azam and Shadab Khan's 72-run partnership, Pakistan faltered after their dismissals.

The USA bowlers displayed discipline, with Nosthush Kenjige taking three wickets and Saurabh Netravalkar claiming two. The rest of the bowling unit also contributed to Pakistan's batting woes, with Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, and Corey Anderson providing valuable support.