Published: Feb 10, 2026, 04:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 10, 2026, 04:09 PM (IST)
Pakistan will face the United States in their second Group D match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The fixture carries extra significance, coming 20 months after the USA stunned Pakistan with a famous Super Over victory during their World Cup debut in 2024.
Pakistan escaped with a tense win against the Netherlands in their tournament opener, chasing 148 with the help of a crucial late cameo from Faheem Ashraf in the 19th over. The middle-order collapse had put the game in jeopardy, raising questions about batting stability.
Babar Azam, returning to T20 cricket, managed only 15 runs off 18 balls, a performance that has once again put his form and strike rate under scrutiny. The team management will be watching closely to see if adjustments are needed in the batting order.
The USA gave defending champions India a real scare in their first match, reducing them to 77/6 at one stage. Despite a strong bowling effort led by Shadley van Schalkwyk, the Americans failed to capitalize due to risky shots in the powerplay, as admitted by captain Monank Patel. A dropped catch off Suryakumar Yadav proved costly, allowing India to recover and win.
The USA have been training in Sri Lanka and are familiar with the conditions, but they will need to address fitness concerns around Ali Khan, who left the field injured against India.
The 2024 loss to the USA in the group stage led to Pakistan’s early exit from that tournament. Now, Pakistan will be determined to settle the score and avoid another upset. Imad Wasim, speaking on a TV show, backed Babar Azam to thrive on Colombo’s pitches, saying scores around 150 will suit his style and experience.
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
Andries Gous (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ehsan Adil, Saurabh Netravalkar
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
