Colombo: American all-rounder Mohammad Mohsin is confident of his team’s ability to defeat Pakistan once again as the two teams prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the Sinhala Stadium on Tuesday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Peshawar-born cricketer reflected on America’s opening match defeat against India.
“It was a tough defeat, especially considering how the game looked after the first 15 overs. But we focused on the positives from that match and our previous win against Pakistan. Honestly, I think the pressure is all on them,” Mohsin said.
Despite being considered the underdogs in the tournament, he was optimistic about the team’s performance and stressed their positive mindset for the next match.
“We have nothing to lose in this World Cup. We are enjoying the journey and it looks exciting the way it has started. Hopefully a win tomorrow will make it even better,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan-born fast bowler Ishaan Adil was replaced by the USA ahead of the clash with Jasdeep Singh.
The Event Technical Committee (ETC) of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approved Adil’s inclusion after Jasdeep was ruled out due to a right shoulder injury sustained during the practice match against New Zealand on 5 February.
Adil, who has previously represented Pakistan in three Tests and six ODIs, is yet to make his debut for the US but was included in the squad following approval from the ETC, which is mandatory for all tournament transfers.
The ETC consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (IBC Representative), Hemang Amin (Host Representative), and Shaun Pollock (Independent Representative).
Historically, Pakistan and USA have met only once in T20 cricket.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Pakistan 159/7, Babar Azam 44 and Shatab Khan 40. USA leveled the total at 159/3, with Monak Patel’s half-century.
The match went to the Super Over, where the USA were 18/1 to restrict Pakistan to 13/1 for a historic win – one of the biggest defeats in T20 World Cup history.
USA Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026:
Monak Patel (catch), Jesse Singh, Andries Gouse, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saideja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthy, Harmeet Singh, Nostush Kenjike, Shotley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netrawalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shuba Mohsin, E.