MUMBAI: India were made to work hard by a spirited USA side in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026, but the hosts eventually held their nerve to secure a 29-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Asked to bat first, India endured a nightmare start as they slumped to 46 for 4 inside the Powerplay. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck by Ali Khan, while Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through the top order with three wickets in the final over of the Powerplay, putting the USA firmly on top.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals on a tricky, two-paced surface, but Suryakumar Yadav stood tall amid the collapse. Playing a superb counter-attacking innings, he remained unbeaten on 84 off 49 balls, dragging India to a competitive 161 for 9. Van Schalkwyk was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 25.
In response, the USA never quite found the momentum required in the chase and were eventually restricted to 132 for 8. Mohammed Siraj led India’s bowling effort with a fine spell, returning figures of 3 for 29, as India began their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought win.
