June 13 (Punjab Khabarnama) : India vs USA proved to be the final T20 World Cup fixture at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, on Wednesday. A temporary venue, the stadium was constructed in only five months and it was chosen as a host in September 2024. It was selected due to its favourable logistics and lesser ecological impact, compared to other locations.
After the match, the dismantling of the stadium began, and a video on social media showed bulldozers being placed at the venue for the process.
The stadium consisted of ten drop-in pitches, four for the main ground and six for the nearby training facility in Cantiague Park. They were prepared by the Adelaide Turf International and maintained in Florida during the colder months, before it’s installation in New York.
The modular components of the stadium will be dismantled and repurposed. The turf and infrastructure will remain so that local clubs and fans can access it.
India defeated USA by seven wickets, to qualify for the Super 8 stage. Chasing 111, India reached 111/3 in 18.2 overs, courtesy of an unbeaten knock of 50* runs off 49 balls by Suryakumar Yadav. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube also remained unbeaten with a knock of 31* runs off 35 deliveries.
Initially, USA were restricted to 110/8 in 20 overs, as Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya returned with figures of 4/9 and 2/14 respectively.
USA’s defeat has given Pakistan a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Pakistan ahead third in Group A with two points. Meanwhile, USA are second with four points. But Babar Azam and Co. have a higher net run rate of +0.191, compared to USA’s +0.127. USA need at least a point vs Ireland or they need Pakistan to drop a point, for Super 8s qualification.
Meanwhile, after qualifying India captain Rohit Sharma said, “It is a big relief, playing cricket here wasn’t easy. We had to stick through till the end in all 3 games. Will take a lot of confidence from these wins.”