The match, held at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, saw skipper Monank Patel leading the charge with a quick-fire 42 off 38 balls. Contributions from Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones helped the hosts set a competitive total of 144/6. Despite a valiant effort from Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who top-scored with 36, the visitors fell short of the target, losing their last six wickets for only 32 runs.
Bangladesh’s bowlers initially struggled to make an impact but managed to contain the USA to 42/0 in the powerplay. However, Ali Khan’s crucial wickets and Patel’s innings ensured a challenging total for the visitors to chase.
In response, Bangladesh faced early setbacks with early wickets falling at regular intervals. Despite a late surge from Shakib Al Hasan, Ali Khan’s crucial wickets in the death overs proved to be the turning point in the match. Saurabh Netravalkar’s excellent penultimate over, coupled with Ali Khan’s final-over heroics, sealed the victory for the USA.
With this win, the USA took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, marking a historic moment in their cricketing journey.
The final scorecard read: USA 144/6 in 20 overs beat Bangladesh 138 in 19.3 overs by 6 runs. Ali Khan’s stellar bowling performance of 3-25 and Patel’s captain’s knock were the standout performances of the match.