Pakistan’s Usman Tariq (left) and Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha (right) celebrate the wicket of USA’s Mohammad Mohsin during their T20 World Cup cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 10, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
USA’s batting faltered again as Pakistan’s spin-heavy approach turned out to be the difference in their T20 World Cup Group A clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on Tuesday (February 10, 2026).
Pakistan’s spinners, led by Usman Tariq’s three-for and Shadab Khan’s two for 26, who earlier hit a 12-ball 30 with the bat, helped the team defend 190 by 32 runs to notch up its second successive win.
Spinners to the fore
Pakistan played with just one fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi, while the spinners shared the remaining 16 overs, picking up seven of the eight wickets as the USA managed only 158 in its failed pursuit.
Bowling under lights, the tweakers weren’t afraid to toss the ball up and were rewarded.
For the USA, only Shayan Jahangir (49) and Shubham Ranjane (51) consistently found the middle of the bat in an otherwise poor batting display.
Earlier, Pakistan’s top-order feasted on indiscipline to power the side to 190 for nine. Saim Ayub set the tone early, skipping down the track to launch Saurabh Netravalkar for a six in the opening over. The bowlers struggled to settle on a consistent length as Sahibzada Farhan (73) slashed, pulled and punched to find the fence regularly.
The momentum stalled briefly when Shadley van Schalkwyk rolled his fingers, drawing Ayub into a slash to short third. Skipper Salman Agha followed soon after, pulling straight to deep square leg.
But Farhan continued to attack the spinners, who kept a flatter trajectory throughout, bringing up a 27-ball fifty. Babar Azam (46) began quietly but shifted gears after his first boundary off his 19th delivery. The 81-run stand ended with Azam’s dismissal, which triggered a collapse. Pakistan lost seven wickets for 53 before its spinners came to the forefront.
The scores:
Pakistan 190/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46, Shadab Khan 30, Shadley van Schalkwyk 4/25) bt USA 158/8 in 20 overs (Shayan Jahangir 49, Shubham Ranjane 51, Usman Tariq 3/27, Shadab 2/26).
Toss: USA; PoM: Farhan.
Published – February 10, 2026 07:17 pm IST
