Cricket

USA Pacer Ali Khan: Pakistan Win Was No Fluke, We Planned to Beat ThemUSA pacer Ali Khan has asserted that their stunning victory over Pakistan in the group stage of the T20 World Cup was not a mere coincidence. The Pakistan-born Khan revealed that the USA team had specifically targeted Pakistan for a win due to their history.Khan explained that the USA team had gained immense confidence from their series win over Bangladesh prior to the World Cup. "That gave us a lot of confidence going forward," he said. "We knew we could easily beat Canada and Ireland. Then it was about picking one team between India and Pakistan that we could beat. We had confidence that we could beat Pakistan."The USA team executed their plan to perfection, dominating Pakistan from the outset. "We had planned accordingly and were all over them from the first ball," Khan said. "I think they had a good phase when Babar and Shadab were batting, other than that we dominated Pakistan."Khan acknowledged Pakistan's unpredictable nature, stating that they are capable of both brilliant and disastrous performances. "If you look at Pakistan's history, they will either destroy you or themselves," he said. "Thankfully, the latter happened. It was a lucky day for us and the win was important."The USA team finished second in Group A behind India, qualifying for the Super 8 stage. Khan's comments highlight the growing confidence and ambition of the USA cricket team, which is aiming to make a mark on the international stage.

The United States cricket team, making its debut in the T20 World Cup, has made a strong impression with its impressive performances. After securing victories against Ireland and Pakistan, the USA currently holds the second position in Group A. They have a higher chance of qualifying for the Super 8 stage than Pakistan. However, recent events have cast a shadow over the team's success.USA batter Jaskaran Malhotra, who was excluded from the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, engaged in a public dispute with USA pacer Ali Khan on social media. During the team's loss to India, USA batter Shayan Jahangir was dismissed for a golden duck. Malhotra seized the opportunity to mock Jahangir, who had previously expressed his desire to demonstrate his superiority to Virat Kohli. Ali Khan responded by criticizing his former teammate's actions.Malhotra shared a meme on social media featuring an old quote from Jahangir, in which he expressed his ambition to face Virat Kohli and prove his dominance. Malhotra added a caption stating, "And this happened when he played against Virat and his team," along with an image of Jahangir being dismissed for a first-ball zero. Ironically, Kohli was also dismissed for a golden duck during India's run-chase, with former India U19 bowler Saurabh Netravalkar dismissing both him and skipper Rohit Sharma.After being omitted from the USA's T20 World Cup squad, Malhotra, known as "Mr Six Sixes #worldrecordholder," has been engaging in social media conflicts with his former USA teammates.Ali Khan expressed his disappointment, stating, "Never expected this from my ex teammate. Hate towards another player! Very unprofessional of you." Malhotra later deleted his original post and responded to Ali Khan, emphasizing his unwavering support for the USA cricket team.Malhotra's exclusion from the USA squad in favor of Jahangir appears to have caused some resentment, which has manifested in his social media actions.Despite their strong start, the USA team was brought back to reality by Team India, who struggled to secure a victory despite a top-order collapse. Suryakumar Yadav scored his first fifty of the tournament, guiding India to victory in 18.2 overs while chasing 111.The USA's fate remains in their own hands, as they can secure a Super 8 berth with a victory over Ireland on June 14.

USA Pacer Ali Khan Ready to "Play Fire with Fire" Against Virat KohliAs India and the United States prepare to face off in a T20 World Cup match in New York, USA pacer Ali Khan has expressed his determination to counter the aggression of Indian star Virat Kohli.Khan, who will be playing for the USA side, is not intimidated by Kohli's reputation and is eager to engage in a fiery battle on the field. "He's very passionate on the field, but so am I," Khan said. "On the field, if things get heated up, then they get heated up. I mean, you play fire with fire."Khan's confidence stems from his belief in his own abilities and the support of his team. "I'm not going to back down from anyone," he said. "I'm going to go out there and play my game. I'm going to try to get him out, and I'm going to try to win the game for my team."India, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss to Pakistan in their opening match of the tournament. The team's batting lineup, led by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will be eager to prove their worth against an inexperienced USA side.However, the USA team has shown impressive form in the lead-up to the World Cup, and they will be confident of causing an upset. Khan, in particular, has been in excellent form, and he will be a key player for the USA if they are to pull off a victory.The match between India and the USA promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams determined to secure a win. Khan's fiery determination to face Kohli head-on adds an extra layer of intrigue to the match, and it will be fascinating to see how the battle between these two players unfolds.

Ali Khan, the fast bowler who played a pivotal role in USA's historic T20I series win against Bangladesh, has expressed confidence in his team's ability to cause upsets at the upcoming T20 World Cup."We [USA] are hungry, and are going to try to eat whoever comes in our way," Khan declared. "This is a time where we can make some changes and adjust. Team looks balanced, and all the guys are hungry. I am sure USA will do some upset [in the T20 World Cup]."Khan, who was named Player of the Match for his 3 for 25 in the second T20I, emphasized the importance of showcasing USA's talent on the world stage. "We need to put USA out there on the world cricket map," he said. "Sometimes when you win against a big side, they say oh it is a fluke. But beating them twice, back-to-back, winning the series is not a fluke. We have the talent, skills and the ability if given the opportunities."Khan's performance in the second T20I was particularly impressive, as he dismissed experienced Bangladesh batsman Shakib Al Hasan and Tanzim Hasan in the 18th over, effectively ending Bangladesh's hopes of victory."The captain (Monank Patel) asked me to stay ready, and I stayed warmed up," Khan explained. "I knew I would be coming on to bowl the 18th and 20th over or the 17th and 19th depending on the situation. Right before I came on, we got a breakthrough and that added pressure on Bangladesh. I just backed myself and tried to do what I do best at the death."Khan's success against Shakib was a result of careful planning and execution. "The wicket got slower, and they were expecting me to bowl with pace, and that's why they threw their bats and helped me to get the inside edge with Shakib," he said. "The plan was to make them hit against the wind, which was the off side for Shakib and tried to throw the first ball away from him. He tried to drag it on and helped me get that wicket."The series win against Bangladesh has boosted the confidence of the USA team and individual players, according to Khan. "It's massive," he said. "In a series like this, individual performances count as well. As a team, just shows the world what we can do if given the opportunities. If we keep playing at this associate level or lower level, you are just going to stay there. But if you have more opportunities to play against bigger sides, top ten teams, there's definitely ways of doing an upset. More opportunities against full members will help us showcase our talent."Khan, who had gone for 1 for 49 in the first game, admitted that he needed some time to adjust to the conditions and find his rhythm. "I was coming back from a major injury and you need time in the middle to get back into rhythm," he said. "It was for me to just go out and get used to the conditions. It didn't go the way I would have liked, usually I don't go for that many runs. But it was my first game back, no excuse. What I learnt from that game, I tried to implement in this game."With the T20 World Cup approaching, Khan believes that the USA team has the potential to surprise their opponents. "The World Cup is coming up, so we don't have much time," he said. "I still feel there's a lot of improvement to be done."

Corey Anderson, a former New Zealand international, has been named in the USA squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Anderson, who represented New Zealand in the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups, will now don the USA jersey for the upcoming tournament.The USA squad also includes Ali Khan, who has experience playing in various T20 leagues worldwide, and Shayan Jahangir, who has represented USA in 12 ODIs. Gajanand Singh and Usman Rafiq have been dropped from the squad that recently defeated Canada in a five-match T20I series.Monank Patel and Aaron Jones, who captained and vice-captained the team against Canada, have retained their positions. Patel was USA's leading run-scorer in that series, while Harmeet Singh and Shadley Van Schalkwyk were the top wicket-takers.Anderson, who has played in T20 leagues around the world, will bring valuable experience to the USA team. He has scored over 2,000 runs and taken over 100 wickets in T20 cricket. Khan, despite limited T20I experience, has played in the Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, and International League T20.Jahangir, who began his career in Pakistan, has played 12 ODIs for USA. His inclusion adds depth to the team's batting lineup.USA will open the T20 World Cup against Canada in Dallas on June 1. The tournament will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.