The USA defeated Canada by 7 wickets to set ablaze the T20 World Cup 2024 opener on American soil. The Canadians got off to a great start by scoring 194 runs with the help of Nicholas Kirton (51 off 31) and Navneet Dhaliwal (61 off 44). After a shaky start, the USA cruised to victory courtesy of Andries Gous (65/46) and Aaron Jones’ (94/40) incredible innings.
After winning the toss, the co-host asked neighbouring Canada to bat first on an unknown Dallas pitch. After Navneet Dhaliwal and Aaron Johnson (23 off 16) gave a solid start, Kirton and Shreyas Movva (32 off 16) exploded in the death overs. As a result, Canada posted a solid 194 runs on the board, utilizing the batting conditions to their advantage.
The USA got off to a shaky start with only 41 runs from the powerplay. Things worsened as soon as they lost captain Monak Patel (16 off 16). At the end of 8 overs, they were struggling at 48 for 2. But Andries Gous and Aaron Jones steadied their innings and later took on the bowlers to chase down the total with 14 balls left.
This win is a big statement for the USA, considering their huge investment in their domestic structure. They have developed some rising talents who are destined for great things. As a result of this big win, their run rate has also increased, which may have an impact if they remain fearless in their game going forward. 
Let’s look at the five moments defining this game’s result.
Corey Anderson’s experience in middle overs
Canada’s batsmen made one-way traffic during the first innings, dominating the USA’s bowling. As Navneet and Dhaliwal, in particular, were going bonkers, Canada was poised for a 200+ score. However, Corey Anderson (1/29) demonstrated his experience by getting Navneet out in the 14th over. Using his cutter to perfection, he got better off the batsman. At that moment, Navneet was in a dangerous mode. Had he stayed, he could’ve made a difference of 10-20 runs on the board.
Ali Khan’s perfect over
After Navneet got out, Canada started to pick up speed as Nicolas Kirton led the charge with a more than 160 strike rate. Ali Khan (1/41) was called up to bowl the 18th over and did not disappoint his captain. He bowled a perfect 18th over in which he conceded just 4 runs and picked up the important wicket of Nicholas Kirton. Khan, however, got smacked for 21 runs in the final over.
Aaron Jones’ charge
With just 48 runs at break, the USA was off to a poor start. The Canadian spinners completely choked them, as the USA looked like they would fade early. However, in the 9th over, Aaron Jones and Andries Gous hit Nikhil Dutta (1/41) for 19 runs to lift the run rate.
Gordon’s record over
After the 9th over, USA began to shift the momentum, with Jones and Gous taking chances against spinners. In desperate need of wickets, the Canadian captain called his best bowler, Jeremy Gordon (0/44). Jones & Gous took on the bowler as they hit him for 33 runs in that over, announcing that the Americans were not done yet.
Jones finishing touch
USA got into the driving seat by collecting 53 runs in the 13th and 14th overs, but the chase was not completed. With the wicket of Andries Gous in the 16th over, Canada made a momentary comeback. In light of the USA’s vulnerable lower order, Canada had a chance to alter the momentum, but Jones blocked all opportunities. Jones showed great maturity and finished the game comfortably for the USA.
USA has made a good start to their campaign and got two points on board, and increased their NRR significantly. If the Dallas pitch behaves similarly, the USA may have a small chance against Pakistan. However, that will be Pakistan’s first game, so after USA’s outing against Pakistan, they need to be on their toes. Pakistan already tends to leak runs, and if the USA puts up a respectable total, they can choke out Pakistan’s inexperienced batting line-up.
Betting odds for USA vs Pakistan are 1.062x for Pakistan and 10x for the USA.
