Pakistan continued their dominant run at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with a convincing 32-run victory over the United States of America at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Monday, February 10. The win marks Pakistan's second consecutive victory in Group A and positions them at the top of the standings heading into their blockbuster encounter against India.

The star of the show was opener Sahibzada Farhan, who produced a scintillating knock of 73 runs off just 41 deliveries. The right-hander's aggressive approach set the tone for Pakistan's innings, as he struck six boundaries and five towering sixes to register his maiden half-century in T20 World Cup cricket. His explosive batting earned him the Player of the Match award.

Farhan's partnership with captain Babar Azam proved crucial in building Pakistan's total. The pair added 81 runs for the third wicket, combining sensible strokeplay with excellent running between the wickets to steady the innings after early pressure. Babar contributed a fluent 46 from 32 balls before falling to a spectacular diving catch by USA's Milind Kumar in the deep, denying him what would have been a well-deserved half-century.

Late fireworks from Shadab Khan propelled Pakistan to a challenging total. The all-rounder smashed 26 runs off his first nine deliveries, providing the late acceleration that pushed the score to 190 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. For USA, Van Schalkwyk was the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets for 25 runs in an impressive display of pace bowling.

Chasing 191 for victory, the United States never quite managed to build the momentum required to threaten Pakistan's total. Despite spirited contributions from Shayan Jahangir and Shubham Ranjane, who provided resistance in the middle overs, wickets fell at regular intervals. The USA innings eventually closed at 158 for 8, falling 32 runs short of the target.

Pakistan's spin duo of Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq strangled the USA batting lineup, combining for figures of 4 for 53 in their eight overs. Their ability to vary pace and extract turn from the Colombo surface proved too difficult for the American batters to counter consistently.

The victory carries extra significance for Pakistan, who suffered a shock defeat to the USA during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States. That upset had threatened Pakistan's campaign in the previous edition, and Monday's comprehensive win served as emphatic revenge on the global stage.

With four points from two matches, Pakistan now turns their attention to what promises to be the marquee fixture of the group stage. They will face arch-rivals India on February 15 in Colombo, a contest that consistently draws billions of viewers worldwide and carries enormous sporting and cultural significance for both nations.

For the United States, this represents their second consecutive defeat following their opening day loss, leaving their hopes of advancing from Group A in serious jeopardy. They will need to regroup quickly and find victories in their remaining fixtures to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.