Mumbai, February 8: The defending champions, the Indian cricket team, kicked off their T20 World Cup 2026 journey with a win. In their first Group A match, India defeated the USA by 29 runs, thanks to a stunning half-century from captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, the USA struggled to chase down India’s target of 162 runs. Their top three batsmen faltered, with opener Andrius Gaus scoring just 6 runs, Sateja Mukkamalla managing only 2, and captain Monank Patel dismissed without scoring. After losing three wickets for just 13 runs, the USA was stabilized by Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthy, who forged a 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket, taking the score to 71. Milind was out for 34 runs at this score. Shortly after, Sanjay was dismissed for 37 runs, leaving the USA at 98 for 5.
Following the collapse of this partnership, the lower order of the USA crumbled. Despite Shubham Ranjane’s quickfire 37 runs off 22 balls, the USA could only manage 132 runs, losing by 29 runs.
For India, Mohammed Siraj was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs. Arshdeep Singh claimed 2 wickets for 18 runs, Axar Patel took 2 for 24, and Varun Chakravarthy secured 1 wicket for 24 runs.
Earlier, India batted first after losing the toss, posting a total of 161 runs for 9 wickets. Captain Suryakumar Yadav led the charge with an unbeaten 84 runs off 49 balls, featuring 4 sixes and 10 fours. Tilak Varma contributed 25 runs off 16 balls, while Ishan Kishan added 20 runs from 16 balls. Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube did not score. Rinku Singh made 6 runs, Hardik Pandya 5, and Axar Patel 14 before getting out.
For the USA, Saurabh Netravalkar was the most expensive bowler, conceding 65 runs in 4 overs without taking a wicket. Shadley van Schalkwyk was the most successful bowler, taking 4 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs. Harmit Singh captured 2 wickets for 26 runs, while Ali Khan and Mohammad Mohsin took 1 wicket each.