India started its title defense in the 2026 T20 World Cup with a hard-fought 29-run win over the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7. The night belonged to Suryakumar Yadav, who not only saved India with the bat but also broke a long-standing Indian record.
Suryakumar was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 84 off 49 balls. It was his 17th Player of the Match award in T20 internationals, the most by any Indian, surpassing Virat Kohli.
Awards for most Player of the Match in T20Is for India
- 17 Suryakumar Yadav (105 T20Is)
- 16 Virat Kohli
- 14 Rohit Sharma
- 8 Axar Patel
India’s innings started worryingly after they were put in to bat. The top order collapsed during the powerplay, with four wickets falling for just 46 runs. Abhishek Sharma was out for a golden duck, adding to the early pressure.
The situation deteriorated in the sixth over when Shadley van Schalkwyk ran through the middle order. He removed Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube on successive balls, leaving India struggling at 77/6.
From there, Suryakumar took charge. He paced the innings smartly, reaching his fifty in 36 balls and keeping India alive with clean batting and smart placement. His calm presence helped India recover to a fighting position.
The final turned the game around. With India at 140/9, Suryakumar hit two sixes and two fours off Saurabh Netravalkar, picking up 21 runs and taking the total to 161/9.
The American pursuit never quite got off the ground. They were reduced to 31/3 in the powerplay when Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh struck early. American captain Monank Patel was dismissed for a duck.
A 58-run stand between Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi kept the match alive for a while. The partnership ended when Varun Chakaravarthy struck.
Axar Patel then wrapped up the chase with two wickets in two balls in the 16th over. Siraj finished things off with a yorker on the last ball to end with figures of 3/29.
With this accolade, Suryakumar now tops the list for most Player of the Match awards for India in T20Is with 17, ahead of Kohli on 16, Rohit Sharma on 14 and Axar on eight. His record-breaking evening gave India the perfect start to their World Cup campaign.
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