India started its title defense in the 2026 T20 World Cup with a thrilling 29-run win over the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7. Captain Suryakumar Yadav held his ground with a match-winning strike on a tough night for the hosts.
India’s innings got off to a nightmare start after being put in to bat. The top order collapsed during the powerplay, with four wickets falling for just 46 runs in the first six overs. Abhishek Sharma was out for a golden duck in the second over, setting the tone for a tough start.
The pressure increased in the sixth over as Shadley van Schalkwyk tore through the middle order. He removed Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube on consecutive balls, leaving India at 46/4 before falling to 77/6 soon after.
From there, Suryakumar took full control. He played with calm and determination and rebuilt the innings almost single-handedly. He reached his half-century in 36 balls and continued to find gaps even as wickets fell at the other end.
India were still in trouble at 140/9 in the final, but Suryakumar produced a stunning finish. He hit two sixes and two fours off Saurabh Netravalkar, collecting 21 runs and taking India to 161/9. He remained unbeaten on 84 off 49 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes.
The US chase never really settled down after a bad start. They were reduced to 31/3 in the powerplay when Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh struck early. US captain Monank Patel was dismissed for a duck, putting the visitors on the back foot.
A 58-run battle between Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi gave the US some hope. Krishnamurthi top scored with 37, while Shubham Ranjane also scored with 37.
That resistance came to an end when Varun Chakaravarthy broke the partnership. Axar Patel then turned the game decisively to India with two wickets in two balls in the 16th over.
Siraj completed the job on the last ball with a perfect yorker to dismiss Ranjane. He finished with figures of 3/29, while van Schalkwyk’s 4/25 was best for the US.
Suryakumar was named Player of the Match for his decisive unbeaten 84, a knock that set the tone for India’s World Cup season.
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