USA skipper Monank Patel said doing 'homework' on opponents was key to their 31-run T20 World Cup win over Namibia. The USA posted 199 runs, which Patel felt was a defendable total, securing their second tournament win.
USA skipper Monank Patel said his side did "homework" on every opponent for the ongoing T20 World Cup, including Namibia, after thrashing them by 31 runs in Chennai on Sunday. Patel said the USA expected the pitch to improve, so a solid start was key. He also felt that after posting 199 runs, it was a good total that could be defended with tight bowling.
USA thumped Namibia by 31 runs in match 27 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. USA batted first and made 199 runs in 20 overs, and then successfully defended the total to secure their second win of the tournament.
'Homework' Was Key to Win: Monank Patel
"Yes, we did our homework for every team now. We have done it for Namibia, too. I thought winning that toss and batting first, we knew that the wickets were going to get better, so we wanted to make sure that we got a proper start, and I thought the partnership between myself and Shayan was very crucial. And later on, the way Sanjay finished off the innings, great to see him, and we knew that 200 is a good score if we keep good pressure through our bowling," Patel said after the match.
Player of the Match on His Innings
Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Player of the Match, after his match innings of 68 off 33 balls, said he avoided unnecessary risks and focused on his strength of hitting off the back foot, looking to rotate strike. "I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, but I think my strength is that I can hit off the back foot. So I was looking for that ball, looking to rotate. And then I think after 14 overs is when I decided to go," Krishnamurthi said.
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