Pakistan thrills fans, crushes USA by 32 runs in T20 thriller.
Pakistan’s back-to-back T20 wins spark joy, topping group with four points.
Pakistan’s Spin Magic Crushes USA Dreams: Farhan’s Fire, Spinners’ Symphony Seal 32-Run T20 Triumph
Colombo erupted in green fireworks Tuesday as Pakistan scripted a masterful 32-run demolition of the USA in T20 World Cup Group A. Sahibzada Farhan’s blistering 73 off 41 balls ignited a fiery 190/9, but it was the spinners’ suffocating stranglehold that stole the show, hearts pounding in a stadium alive with dreams and drama.
Farhan, the opener with ice in his veins and thunder in his bat, danced down the track like a man possessed. Boundaries flowed—sixes soared into Colombo’s night sky—as he carved 73, anchoring Pakistan’s power-packed total. Fans chanted his name, sensing glory. Yet, USA’s bowlers clawed back, but Pakistan’s middle order held firm, crossing 190 with nine wickets down. It felt like destiny, their second straight win propelling them atop the group with four points.
The chase began with hope for the underdogs. Openers Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) and Andries Gous (13 off 13) ignited fireworks, racing to 42 by the fifth over. The powerplay ended at 50/1, USA’s fans daring to dream of repeating last edition’s upset over Pakistan. But captain Babar Azam’s masterstroke changed everything: unleash the spinners.
Enter the quartet of doom—Abrar Ahmed (1/30), Mohammad Nawaz (1/21), Shadab Khan (2/26), and Usman Tariq (3/27). Their accuracy was poetry, wickets poetry in motion. Gous holed out to Salman Agha off Nawaz, a soft dismissal that silenced USA cheers. Skipper Monank Patel’s agony followed—a return catch to Shadab, the leg-spin wizard whose guile turned the tide. Jahangir’s heave off Shadab looped to Shaheen Afridi at mid-wicket; dreams crumbled.
The next four overs? Pure torment. USA scraped 18 runs, losing four wickets to spin sorcery. Pakistan grabbed seven of eight scalps, leaving USA gasping at 158/8. Shubham Ranjane’s gutsy 51 off 30 fought valiantly, smashing boundaries in defiance, but it was mere consolation—a brave flicker in Pakistan’s storm.
Babar’s tactics shone: spinners choked the life out of USA’s aggressive chase, turning Colombo’s humidity into a pressure cooker. Abrar’s subtle variations bamboozled, Nawaz’s arm balls deceived, Shadab’s flight mesmerized, Tariq’s darts sealed fates. USA’s batters, swinging wildly, found only air and despair.
For Pakistan, joy overflowed—revenge for last World Cup’s heartbreak, momentum surging. Fans hugged strangers, fireworks lit the sky. USA fought with heart, Ranjane’s fifty a testament to their rise, but Pakistan’s blend of explosive batting and spin wizardry proved too much. In T20’s brutal beauty, skill meets spirit; here, Pakistan embodied both.
As group leaders, they eye semifinals with fire. USA departs heads high, but wiser. Cricket’s magic? It breaks hearts, mends them, unites us all under floodlights.