Pakistan geared up for the highly anticipated T20 World Cup showdown with India by securing a 32-run victory against the United States in their second group-stage fixture.
The USA pulled off a sensational win against Pakistan in a super over when the sides met in the 2024 edition, but there was no such drama this time around.
Sahibzada Farhan’s sparkling knock of 74 from 41 balls and Babar Azam’s 48 off 32 handed a target of 191 to the USA, who failed to keep pace during the chase as Pakistan made it two wins from two matches in the tournament.
It is a confidence‑boosting victory for Pakistan before Sunday’s high‑stakes match with arch‑rivals and defending champions India – a contest that was clouded by uncertainty until the country’s government reversed its order for a boycott.
Pakistan’s innings was shaped by Farhan’s ninth T20I half-century while Babar also added some much-needed runs to his account amid his recent struggles with form.
Farhan eventually fell to Harmeet Singh in the 16th over but not before leaving Pakistan well placed at 143‑4 heading into the death overs.
Shadab Khan then added a quickfire 30 from 12 balls but Pakistan lost five wickets in the final two overs to reach 190-9, with USA seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk finishing with figures of 4-25 for the second game running.
Opener Shayan Jahangir almost single-handedly guided the USA in the early stages of the chase but fell one short of a deserved half-century in the 11th over when they were already struggling to keep up with the asking rate.
Despite having wickets in hand, the USA managed just 29 runs in six overs after powerplay, meaning Shubham Ranjane’s 30-ball 51 proved too little and too late as mystery spinner Usman Tariq claimed three wickets.
The USA, who can take plenty of positives despite back-to-back defeats, will eye their first win of the tournament when facing the Netherlands on Friday.
New Zealand rout UAE for second win
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Tim Seifert and Finn Allen put on a record-breaking opening partnership as New Zealand made it two wins from two matches with a 10-wicket defeat of the United Arab Emirates.
They guided New Zealand to victory with the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cup history, breaking the previous mark of 170 held by England’s Jos Buttler and Alex Hales in a 10-wicket win over India in the 2022 semi-final.
Batting first in Chennai, half-centuries from captain Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu took the UAE to 173-6, a total they would have thought gave them a fighting chance against the 2021 finalists.
But any hope of a UAE challenge evaporated quickly as New Zealand openers Seifert and Allen produced a ruthless exhibition of hitting to help their side reach the target with 28 balls to spare.
Having hit a 42-ball 65 in Sunday’s win against Afghanistan, Seifert struck his second consecutive half-century in 23 balls and remained unbeaten on 89, while Allen hit a 50-ball 84, which included five sixes.
Earlier, a 107-run second-wicket stand between Waseem, who remained unbeaten on 66 from 45 balls, and Sharafu had given the UAE a solid platform to build on.
Sharafu, born in the Indian state of Kerala not too far away from Chennai, attacked the off-side freely for his 47-ball 55 and it took a brilliant relay catch involving Mark Chapman and Mitch Santner to dismiss the batter.
That wicket stalled UAE’s charge but Waseem and Mayank Kumar hit 27 runs off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to wrest back some control. However, their highest total in a T20 World Cup game ultimately proved too little to trouble New Zealand.
New Zealand will next face South Africa in Ahmedabad on Saturday while the UAE meet Canada in Delhi on Friday.
De Leede shines in Netherlands victory
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In the first game of the day, Bas de Leede starred with both bat and ball as the Netherlands opened their account with a convincing seven-wicket win over Namibia.
The Netherlands ran Pakistan close but suffered a defeat in the tournament opener on Saturday but bounced back impressively in Delhi.
Chasing 157, all-rounder De Leede, who had already picked up two key Namibia wickets, crafted an unbeaten 72 from 48 balls to guide them home with authority.
It is their biggest win in the tournament’s history while De Leede became the first Netherlands cricketer to score a half-century and take two wickets in the same match of a T20 World Cup.
Sent to bat in their first game of the tournament, Namibia reached 60-1 in nine overs before Logan van Beek dismissed Jan Frylinck, who scored 30 off 26 balls.
Namibia’s momentum was further halted by De Leede, who sent back their captain Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit for 18 and 22 respectively, while Nicol Loftie-Eaton fell to Van Beek after a 38-ball 42 as they posted 156-8.
After losing opener Max O’Dowd early, a 70-run third-wicket partnership between De Leede and Colin Ackerman steadied the Netherlands’ chase, with the former hitting five fours and four sixes to defeat Namibia, who will next face defending champions and co-hosts India on Thursday.
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16 August 2025
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: BBC
