The United States: A Team Came to Make History in the T20 World Cup

This edition of the ICC T20 World Cup is already special for the United States, not just for their first appearance in the Cricket World Cup of any format but also for being the host jointly with West Indies. But the USA isn’t content with just being a host – they’re surprising the cricket world with a string of impressive performances to make history!

Immediately before the World Cup began, they defeated Bangladesh in the bilateral series by 2-1 and then defeated Canada by 7 wickets in their very first World Cup match, and with the historic win against mighty Pakistan, a day to remember for long!

How is a country with very few people truly enthusiastic about the game consistently performing so well? How inspiring is the journey?

Impressive Start: Victories in the Group Stage

Having both India and Pakistan, two commanding cricketing nations in the same group, the USA was assumed to have a tough time at the group stage. But the performance they are showing consistently has made the time of other teams even tougher!

In their first match (also the opening match of this World Cup) on June 1, they were supposed to be in big trouble with a target of 194 given by Canada. Credit goes to Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton for their half-centuries. But the USA won that match in 7 wickets having over 2 overs in hand! The power they have shown was a message to others that should not be ignored.

Regarding the next match against Pakistan, those who ignored it, assuming that a one-sided game was waiting, got the genuine wonder. At one point, the USA was supposed to win comfortably. Yet, it went to a Super Over drama where the USA again appeared as the hero and secured the historic win!

Strategic Brilliance: The Win Against Pakistan

The win of the USA against mighty Pakistan is not just an upset but rather a tactical success and execution of USA team management. Since the pitch was uncertain, they bowled first after winning the toss. With the help of Nosthush Kenjige’s three wickets, they restricted Pakistan to 159 runs only.

Considering the bowling-friendliness of the pitch, this target was not easier at all. But USA batters have done their homework to defend Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, and other quality bowlers. The way USA batters carried on their innings, especially Monak Patel, was superb. Their captain was impressive, scoring 50 of 38 balls, to lead from the front.

What is notable is that the US batters did not go for too many big hits rather chose the ground shots and were successful in finding gaps. Yet, the match was too close as they lost some crucial wickets.

Even in the Super Over, selecting Saurabh Netravalkar was the right decision considering his ability to make wicket-to-wicket deliveries. The strategy worked so well to win the Super Over by 5 runs!

Momentum Building: Series Win Against Bangladesh

When the tournament fixture was set, the Bangladesh vs USA series did not attract much attention as a comfortable series win for Bangladesh was expected. Yet, they defeated Bangladesh, a team with more than 25 years of international cricket experience in 2 consecutive matches!

In the last match, they rested 4 key players to experiment with other players of the team. This series set the tone for them to step into the first-ever World Cup appearance with a boosted morale.  In fact, so many cricket fans came to know about the USA cricket team for the first time through this series. And now, they are not just a shock, but also a big concern for the teams they will face next!

Players to Watch: Rising Stars and Veterans

This amazing performance of the USA has featured some stars in the cricket world. Monak Patel, the captain and Wicket Keeper batter awarded Man of the Match for his quick fifty, he is from India and was included in the U-19 team as well. Later joined USA national team with his first ever international match for the USA in 2019 and a became regular member of the team.

Aaron Jones, another star player is also not from the USA but rather from West Indies. This middle-ordered batter is also a part-time bowler for the team and consistently performing for the team. Corey Anderson is one of the very few rare cricketers in history to represent two national teams in a lifetime! Yes, he is from New Zealand with an impressive career being the youngest New Zealander to get a chance in the national team.

Being a country of immigrants, getting talents from across the globe is not a surprise for the USA. Let’s see how far these players carry their team and how the popularity of Cricket spread over the continent!

Upcoming Matches and Contenders

With these two impressive wins, USA is now a few steps away from reaching the Super 8 stage! Getting 4 points in 2 matches, they are at the top of the table now! Only one win either against India or Ireland will ensure their spot in the next round!

However, they will play their next match against India on 12th June. The whole cricket world will wait for another thriller for sure. Even if they lose this match, they will get another chance to keep the hope by defeating Ireland on 14th June. The potential they have already shown has sent the warning text to all the teams. Therefore, no team will take them lightly this time. Thus, the adventurous journey for the USA is expected to face new challenges from now on!

Conclusion

The potential of the USA players has clearly proven that the fairy tale has just began and many more to come. Reaching the Super 8 is not their dream rather destination now. Even if they fail to win any more match, the importance of this performance won’t be lightened at all. USA people are now curious about the rules of Cricket. New fields are being prepared for the game. Let’s hope that true globalization of cricket begins with USA’s historic journey where many more team to join yet!

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