Fans to get free entry for Pakistan-USA T20 World Cup match: SLC

COLOMBO: Cricket fans will get the chance to witness history as the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground hosts its first-ever international floodlit match on Tuesday.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixture will see Pakistan take on the United States, with the game scheduled to start at 19:00 local time.

Fans will be granted free entry for this landmark occasion, with gates 5 and 7 opening at 17:00.

The venue has already hosted two World Cup matches, including the tournament opener on 7 February, when Pakistan faced the Netherlands, a match the Green Shirts won.

Meanwhile, the 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 5 February.

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 mandatory approval for all tournament replacements.

Historically, Pakistan and the USA have met only once in T20 cricket. That encounter took place during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas. 

Pakistan posted 159/7, with Babar Azam scoring 44 and Shadab Khan 40.

The USA matched the total at 159/3, thanks to a half-century from Monank Patel.

The thrilling contest went to a Super Over, where the USA scored 18/1, restricting Pakistan to 13/1 and securing a historic victory — widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history.

Squads:

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.

USA: 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.