Chennai, Feb 13 (NationPress) The captain of the USA, Monank Patel, praised his team's intent and collective responsibility following a decisive 93-run victory against the Netherlands during a Group A match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

After the USA set a target of 196/6 and bowled the Netherlands out for just 103, Monank highlighted that a clear approach played a pivotal role in their success.

“I am really pleased with our performance today. Losing the toss and batting first posed challenges; the pitch had some grip. However, I believe the intent we displayed was remarkable. This was something we lacked in our initial two matches, and as a batting unit, we responded strongly. The top four batsmen took charge, played with intent, and helped us achieve a commendable score. Initially, we aimed to assess the pitch conditions. Once we adjusted and settled in, our strategy was to capitalize on poor deliveries, show intent, and apply pressure on the bowlers. That was very much our mindset,” he stated during the post-match interview.

The captain stressed that confidence in the batting lineup was evident even before the tournament, referring to their preparation.

“We had a solid preparation phase during the warm-up matches, scoring 200 runs against both India and New Zealand. It was never about our skills; it was about maintaining that intent consistently, especially in the first two World Cup fixtures. The start of the World Cup was challenging for us, but we learned valuable lessons from those games, which aided us. After Shayan’s dismissal, I communicated that it was a 170-run pitch. Given the quality of our spinners, I believed that 170 would be a highly competitive score if we batted effectively,” he added.

Saiteja Mukkamalla was instrumental in achieving the USA's robust total, scoring 79 and stabilizing the innings. Monank specifically commended the young batter for his maturity and sense of responsibility, stating, “He’s an exceptional talent for the USA. His batting over the past two years makes it seem as though he has been playing international cricket for a decade. He’s remarkably mature. Credit goes to him - he accepted responsibility. We’ve discussed that one of our top three batsmen needs to carry the innings, and his performance today was a pleasure to witness.”

Monank also praised left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, whose four wickets disrupted the Dutch chase, saying, “The way he attacked the stumps, utilized his pace, and encouraged the batters to take risks was outstanding. He bowled exceptionally well and provided us with crucial early momentum.”