First victory for Pakistan in this T20 World Cup 2024

In a must-win scenario, Pakistan secured a vital victory against Canada to keep their slim hopes of reaching the Super Eight alive. After losing their first two group matches to the USA and India, the current runners-up were on the brink of elimination. Pakistan needed a win against Canada to stay in contention for the Super Eight.

At Nassau County Cricket Stadium, Canada batted first against Pakistan and managed to score 106 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. In response, Pakistan chased down the target with 15 balls to spare, winning by seven wickets and securing their first win of the tournament.

Winning the toss, Pakistan's captain Babar Azam elected to field first. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, along with Amir and Haris Rauf, bowled effectively to restrict Canada to a modest total. Aaron Johnson was the standout performer for Canada, scoring 52 runs off 44 balls, including four sixes and four fours. However, the rest of the Canadian batting lineup struggled, with captain Saad bin Zafar managing only 10 runs off 21 balls.

For Pakistan, Amir and Haris Rauf each took two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah took one wicket apiece.

Chasing a target of 107 runs, Pakistan faced an early setback as they lost opener Saim Ayub for just 6 runs with the team score at 20. However, a crucial partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the innings. Babar scored 33 runs off 33 balls before getting out, leaving Rizwan to guide the team to victory with an unbeaten 53 runs off 52 balls.

With this win against Canada, Pakistan moved up to third place in the points table. To advance to the Super Eight, they now face a critical match against Ireland, where they will need a substantial victory along with favorable results from other matches.

This victory has provided a much-needed boost to Pakistan's campaign, keeping their hopes alive in the tournament. The final group match will be crucial for their aspirations to make it to the next stage.