USA Beat Namibia By 31 Runs To Register Second Win In T20 World Cup
The United States of America secured their second victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a commanding 31-run win over Namibia in match 27 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss, USA posted a massive 199 for 4 in their 20 overs and then held their nerve with the ball to restrict Namibia to 168 for 7, sealing a crucial win in the group stage.
Also Read:
Captain Monank Patel and wicketkeeper-batter Shayan Jahangir opened the innings for USA. Jahangir survived an early scare when he was dropped at cover point on the third ball of the match. The pair made full use of the reprieve and provided a solid start, racing to 18 without loss in the first two overs.
The momentum increased sharply during the powerplay. Both openers attacked the Namibian bowlers aggressively, and in the final over of the powerplay, JJ Smith conceded 19 runs as USA reached 65 for no loss at the end of six overs.
Shortly after the powerplay, Shayan Jahangir was dismissed by Willem Myburgh for 22 off 18 balls. However, Monank Patel continued to dominate and completed his half-century in the ninth over in just 27 deliveries. At the halfway mark, USA were strongly placed.
Patel’s innings came to an end in the 11th over when Myburgh dismissed him for 52 off 30 balls, an innings that included three fours and three sixes. Saiteja Mukkamalla added quick runs, smashing 10 off the first three balls of Gerhard Erasmus’ over before being dismissed on the fourth delivery.
The standout performer of the innings was Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who launched a brutal assault in the death overs. He hammered 20 runs off Bernard Scholtz’s 15th over and then smashed Ruben Trumpelmann for 26 runs in the 17th over. Sanjay reached his half-century in just 23 balls, marking the third-fastest fifty by an associate batter in T20 World Cup history. He was dropped by Erasmus on the first ball after reaching the milestone but remained unbeaten on a scintillating 68 off 33 balls.
Miland Kumar contributed 28 off 20 balls before falling in the final over. USA added 10 runs in the last over to finish on a formidable 199 for 4.
In response, Namibia openers Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck began confidently, reaching 14 without loss in two overs. The scoring rate picked up rapidly, especially when Ali Khan conceded 20 runs in a single over, helping Namibia move to 48 without loss after five overs.
Namibia ended the powerplay at 57 for 1, losing Frylinck in the final over of the fielding restrictions to Shadley van Schalkwyk. Steenkamp and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton then stitched together a key partnership, guiding Namibia to 97 for 1 after 10 overs.
The partnership was broken in the 11th over when Loftie-Eaton was dismissed by skipper Saurabh Netravalkar for 28 off 17 balls. Steenkamp continued his aggressive approach and brought up his fifty in 33 balls before being dismissed by Shubham Ranjane for 58 off 39 balls, an innings featuring five fours and three sixes.
After the departure of the set batters, the run rate slowed considerably. Namibia were 125 for 4 after 15 overs and struggled to keep up with the required rate in the final phase. USA’s bowlers maintained control in the closing overs, restricting Namibia to 168 for 7 in 20 overs and sealing a 31-run victory.
Brief scores: USA 199/4 in 20 overs (Monank Patel 52, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 68 not out; Willem Myburgh 2 wickets) beat Namibia 168/7 in 20 overs (Louren Steenkamp 58, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 28; Saurabh Netravalkar 1 wicket) by 31 runs.
“We Did Our Homework”: Monank Patel After USA’s 31-Run Win Over Namibia In T20 World Cup
United States captain Monank Patel said his team’s preparation played a key role in their commanding 31-run victory over Namibia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, adding that the side had done detailed homework on every opponent in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Patel said the team had studied Namibia carefully, just as they had done with other teams in the competition. He explained that winning the toss and choosing to bat first was part of the plan, as they expected the pitch to improve under lights. According to him, getting a solid start was crucial in setting up a competitive total.
The skipper highlighted the importance of the opening partnership between himself and wicketkeeper-batter Shayan Jahangir. He felt that laying a strong foundation at the top allowed the middle order to play with freedom. Patel also praised the finishing effort from Sanjay Krishnamurthi, whose late assault lifted the total close to the 200-run mark.
Patel said that once USA reached 199, the team believed it was a defendable score, provided the bowlers maintained pressure and executed their plans properly. The bowlers responded well, controlling the run flow in the latter stages of Namibia’s chase and ensuring the target remained out of reach.
Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 68 off 33 balls, also reflected on his approach. He said he did not want to take unnecessary risks early in his innings and focused on playing to his strengths. Krishnamurthi explained that he prefers hitting off the back foot and looked to rotate strike before accelerating.
He added that after the 14th over, he decided to shift gears and attack the bowlers aggressively, which proved decisive in pushing USA to a match-winning total.
Read all the Breaking News Live on pakistantimes.com and Get Latest English News & Updates from Pakistan Times. Follow us on Whatsapp channel for more.
