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Pakistan and the United States of America (USA) are all set to face each other in the Group A encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Green Shirts are expected to make one change for the clash, with Khawaja Nafay likely replacing Babar Azam in the top order. Star pacer Naseem Shah also remains a strong contender.
Babar Azam has been in poor form, playing four games in 2026, scoring 91 runs at an average of 30.33 and a strike rate of 115.18, including a half-century against Australia.
The national team will be keen to assess the hard-hitting batter Khawaja Nafay ahead of the crucial game against India, scheduled to take place on February 15.
Pakistan (Probable XI):
Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.
Meanwhile, USA, who displayed an outstanding performance in their last game against India despite a 29-run defeat, may adjust their playing XI with former Pakistani pacer Ehsan Adil replacing Saurabh Netravalkar.
Saurabh Netravalkar was the most expensive bowler for the USA in their opening game, conceding 65 runs in his four-over spell at an economy rate of 16.25 without taking any wicket.
USA (Probable XI):
Andries Gous, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel, Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.
Key Players to Watch
For Pakistan, Khawaja Nafay and Faheem Ashraf are expected to be crucial for top-order stability and finishing power, while Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza could exploit early movement and pressure the USA batting line-up.
The USA will rely on Monank Patel’s composure in the middle order and Ehsan Adil’s pace and bounce to challenge Pakistan’s batting. Ali Khan and Saurabh Netravalkar will be key for death overs control.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The match will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where the pitch typically favors batters, producing high-scoring games. Teams batting first generally score between 175 and 190 runs.
Spinners receive limited assistance, but disciplined fast bowlers can make an impact if they maintain tight lines and lengths.
Temperatures during the game are expected to range between 31 °C and 32 °C, with minimal risk of rain. Evening dew could make bowling and fielding under lights challenging, potentially favoring teams batting second.
