Host USA started their T20 World Cup campaign with big win

The United States claimed victory in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 against Canada by seven wickets at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Saturday.

Canada set a 195-run target for the US after they were put to bat first by the hosts in the opening match.

USA’s Aaron Jones played a belligerent knock of 94 runs in 40 balls, which included four fours and 10 maximums, as the hosts chased 195-run target in only 17.4 overs.

USA made a slow start to the run chase as they slipped to 42-2 in the seventh over of the innings with both the openers, Steven Taylor (0) and Monank Patel (16), back in the hut.

However, at this stage, Andries Gous and Jones took charge of the innings and stitched a brilliant match-winning partnership of 131 runs in 58 balls.

Gous scored 65 runs in 46 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes.

Earlier, the USA had put Canada to bat first after winning the toss. The latter had posted 194 with the loss of five wickets.

Opener Navneet Dhaliwal and middle-order batter Nicholas Kirton scored fifties for Canada to set the platform for a competitive total.

Dhaliwal scored 61 runs in 44 balls with the help of six fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Kirton added 51 runs in 31 balls which included three fours and two maximums.

Shreyas Movva played a fiery unbeaten cameo of 32 runs in 16 balls to provide impetus towards the backend of the innings.

Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh and Corey Anderson bagged one wicket each.

USA vs Canada is cricket’s oldest rivalry since the first ever international cricket was between these two sides in 1844 at the St George’s Cricket Club in New York.

Canada and USA are in Group A of the T20 World Cup alongside India, Pakistan and Ireland.