'Pressure is on Pakistan,' says Mohammad Mohsin ahead of T20 World Cup clash

COLOMBO: USA all-rounder Mohammad Mohsin expressed confidence in his team’s ability to beat Pakistan once again as both sides gear up for their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 encounter on Tuesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Peshawar-born cricketer reflected on USA’s opening match defeat against India.

"It was a tough loss, especially considering how the game was after the first 15 overs. But we focused on the positives from that match and our previous win against Pakistan. Honestly, I think the pressure is all on them," Mohsin said.

Despite being considered underdogs in the tournament, he remained optimistic about the team's performance and emphasised their positive mindset heading into the next match.

"We don’t have anything to lose in this World Cup. We’re just enjoying the journey, and the way it has started, it looks exciting. Hopefully, tomorrow’s win will make it even better," he added.

Meanwhile, USA named Pakistan-origin pacer Ehsan Adil as a replacement for Jasdeep Singh in their squad ahead of the clash.

The Event Technical Committee (ETC) of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 approved Adil’s inclusion after Jasdeep was ruled out due to a right shoulder injury sustained during a warm-up match against New Zealand on February 5.

Adil, who previously represented Pakistan in three Tests and six ODIs, is yet to make his debut for the USA but was drafted into the squad following the ETC’s approval, which is mandatory for all tournament replacements.

The ETC comprises Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (IBC Representative), Hemang Amin (Host Representative), and Shaun Pollock (Independent Representative).

Historically, Pakistan and USA have faced each other only once in T20 cricket.

In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas, Pakistan posted 159/7, with Babar Azam scoring 44 and Shadab Khan 40. USA matched the total at 159/3, with Monank Patel contributing a half-century.

The match went to a Super Over, where USA scored 18/1, restricting Pakistan to 13/1 and securing a historic win — one of the biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history.

USA squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026:

Monank Patel (c), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane and Ehsan Adil.