Same Mindset, Same Intent! Sahibzada Farhan on IND vs PAK Clash

Sahibzada Farhan produced a commanding batting display while spinner Usman Tariq delivered a crucial bowling performance as Pakistan secured a convincing 32-run victory over the United States in their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Group A encounter in Colombo on Tuesday.

The result marked Pakistan's second consecutive win in the tournament and served as redemption for their surprising loss to the USA in the previous edition of the competition.

Batting first at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, Pakistan posted a strong total of 190, largely built around Farhan's impressive innings. The 29-year-old batter played with confidence and authority, scoring 73 runs off 41 deliveries. His innings featured six boundaries and five maximums, allowing Pakistan to maintain

momentum throughout the middle overs. Farhan also achieved a personal milestone during his knock by surpassing 1,000 T20 international runs in just his 41st appearance. He was eventually dismissed in the 16th over after being caught in the covers off Harmeet Singh.

Farhan received valuable support from former captain Babar Azam, who contributed 46 runs from 32 balls. Babar's innings, which included four boundaries and a six, helped stabilise the innings and laid the foundation for Pakistan's competitive total.

Speaking after receiving the Player of the Match award, Farhan highlighted his confidence heading into the game. "We'll go in with the same mindset as we did in our previous matches against India, including the Asia Cup. We'll try to stay positive and play attacking cricket," Sahibzada Farhan said after being awarded the 'Player of the Match'.

"The way we practiced yesterday, the ball was coming onto my bat really well in the nets. I had already told our batting coach (Hanif Malik) yesterday that I was getting a good feeling for today's match," he said.

"I was confident. I even said, I will finish the match in a way that earns me the player-of-the-match award. I've set a personal target for myself, to win at least two to three player-of-the-match awards in this World Cup," Sahibzada Farhan added.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha praised the team's overall effort while acknowledging areas for improvement. "We are Pakistan, we do things differently to the world," Pakistan captain Salman Agha said after the win. "It was a clinical performance as we batted really well to post 190 and we knew we could defend that. There is always room for improvement, we'd like to bowl better in the powerplay before the next game," he added.

Pakistan will now turn their attention to the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday.