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The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosts USA, are all set to take on South Africa, as the Super Eights stage gets underway here at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday.
The hosts have so far given a great account of themselves, beginning their group stages campaign with a seven-wicket victory over neighbours Canada, before taking down former champions Pakistan in a sudden-death Super Over. Their final Group A match against Ireland was washed out due to rain, but despite a narrow loss to India, they made it through comfortably in the end as the second-best in the group with five points from four games. A confident captain Monank Patel, said ahead of the important clash, "Our journey so far has been incredible, and reaching the Super 8s is a huge milestone for us. We are looking forward to competing against some of the best teams in the world. Our team is ready to take on the challenge, and we will give our best to continue this run." By qualifying for the Super Eights, USA have also secured a spot in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Venu Pisike, Chairman of USA Cricket, also expressed excitement and pride stating, "Qualifying for the Super 8s in our maiden T20 World Cup appearance is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players and support staff. This achievement not only highlights the growth of cricket in the USA but also sets a foundation for future success and what we aim to achieve by promoting cricket here in the US. We are thrilled to have also secured our place in the 2026 T20 World Cup." The Super 8 stage will see eight teams split into two groups of four, with the top two teams from each to go through to the semi-finals. Drawn into Group 2, USA will face formidable opponents, including South Africa, the co-hosts and two-time T20 World Cup Champions, West Indies as well as the defending champions, England. All the matches of the Super 8 stage will be hosted across the Caribbean islands. South Africa, although never having won any ICC tournament, is a strong unit and will go into the game as favourites. Their bowlers led by quick Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada are in top form and so are their batters, particularly the dangerous Henrich Klassen and David Miller coming in the middle order. The USA however have also played some flamboyant cricket with top-order batters Monank and vice-captain Aaron Jones displaying the ability to turn games on their head. Left-arm medium pacer Saurabh Netravalkar has been a global revelation and with the experience of former Kiwi Corey Anderson in the mix, USA will feel confident to give the Proteas a run for their money. USA Cricket Super 8 Schedule: Wednesday, June 19: vs South Africa at 10:30 AM in Antigua (Local Time) Friday, June 21: vs West Indies at 8:30 PM in Barbados (Local Time) Sunday, June 23: vs England or Scotland at 10:30 AM in Barbados (Local Time). (ANI)
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