Rizwan steers Pakistan to convincing win against Canada in T20 World Cup 2024 clash

Pakistan bounced back from consecutive defeats in the T20 World Cup 2024 with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Canada at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

After faltering against the United States (USA) and India in their initial matches, Pakistan showcased a determined performance to secure a much-needed win against Canada.

The chase for Pakistan started cautiously, with the team failing to find the boundaries in the opening overs. The loss of Saim Ayub early on put Pakistan under some pressure, but Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the ship with a crucial 63-run partnership.

Although Azam departed after contributing 33 runs, Rizwan anchored the innings superbly, finishing unbeaten on 53 off 53 balls as Pakistan chased down the 107-run target in 17.3 overs.

In the first innings, Pakistan's bowlers dominated proceedings, restricting Canada to a modest total of 106-7. Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf led the charge with the ball, making life difficult for the Canadian batsmen.

Amir set the tone early on by dismissing Navneet Dhaliwal in the third over, while Shaheen Afridi added to Canada's woes with a wicket of his own in the sixth over.

Despite a resilient effort from Aaron Johnson, who scored 52 runs off 44 balls, Canada struggled to build partnerships against Pakistan's disciplined bowling attack.

Haris Rauf's milestone added to Pakistan's joy, as he became only the second bowler after Shadab Khan to claim 100 wickets in T20Is for Pakistan.

Amir and Rauf led the bowling charge with two wickets each, while Naseem and Shaheen chipped in with one wicket apiece.

The comprehensive victory against Canada will provide Pakistan with a much-needed boost as they aim to revive their campaign in the T20 World Cup.