Pakistan vs USA: No Room for Complacency in Colombo

Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign got off to a shaky start with a narrow win over Netherlands, and they will be eager to deliver a more commanding display when they face the United States of America in their second Group B fixture on Tuesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. With memories of USA's dramatic Super Over upset against them in the 2024 edition still fresh—securing direct qualification for this tournament—Pakistan cannot afford to underestimate their opponents.

USA made a strong impression in their opener, nearly derailing defending champions India in Mumbai. They had India reeling at 46/4 and later 118/7 before Suryakumar Yadav's rescue act. However, their own top-order collapse against India's bowling left them short, compounded by injury woes. Shubham Ranjane returned to bat despite a hobble, but key pacer Ali Khan is doubtful, prompting the inclusion of uncapped Pakistan-origin Ehsan Adil as a replacement. Another player, Jasdeep Singh, was ruled out entirely, with Adil potentially debuting immediately.

Pakistan's bowling was the standout in their first match, restricting Netherlands to 147 on a grassy pitch at the venue. Spinners and pacers shared the wickets, with all but Shadab Khan claiming at least one. Yet, their batting faltered, relying on Faheem Ashraf's lucky reprieve and late heroics to seal the win. A prone-to-collapse batting lineup makes this matchup trickier than expected, especially with the high-stakes India clash looming later in the week.

Team News and Probable Lineups

Pakistan is likely to retain their winning XI despite the nerves: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

USA's bowling could be weakened without Ali Khan, leaning on Saurabh Netravalkar and others. Probable XI: Andries Gous (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ehsan Adil/Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.

Match Conditions and Expectations

The pitch, which surprised with grass in the opener, may remain low-scoring, favoring chasers. Light cloud cover is expected but no major rain interruptions. Pakistan will hope stars like Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam step up to avoid another close shave against a USA side brimming with confidence from their near-miss against India.

Match Details: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 7 PM local time (1:30 PM GMT), Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo.