ICC T20 World Cup 2024: USA thrash Canada to win opening encounter

In the opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, Canada put on an impressive batting display, setting a target of 195 runs for hosts USA to chase.

The Group A clash, held in Dallas, saw Canada reach 194 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. 

After winning the toss, USA captain Monank Patel chose to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of a fresh wicket. However, Canada’s batsmen rose to the occasion, with notable contributions throughout the lineup. Naveent Dhaliwal led the charge with a superb innings, keeping the tempo high and ensuring a competitive total.

Canada's innings was anchored by Dhaliwal, who top-scored with 61 runs before being dismissed by former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, now representing the USA. Anderson made an immediate impact, claiming Dhaliwal's wicket with his very first delivery in the tournament, providing a crucial breakthrough for the hosts.

Despite this, Canada continued to build their innings steadily, reaching a formidable total of 194 runs for the loss of five wickets.

The squads 

Canada: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Dilpreet Bajwa, Saad Bin Zafar (capt), Nikhil Dutta, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Jeremy Gordon

USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (capt, wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Jasdeep Singh, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar