A special innings from Suryakumar Yadav saw India clinch a 29-run win over USA in their opening ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match. Having suffered a batting collapse, Yadav slammed a stunning 84 to power the hosts to a respectable 161. With the ball, Mohammed Siraj was the star of the show with a 3-fer to hand the hosts 2 points to kick start their title defence.
India were not at their best but still managed to thump USA by 29 runs after the latter gave their famed batting line up a shock in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group A match at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Saturday.
However, the victory came largely thanks to skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant and timely 84 and a disciplined bowling performance by the Indian bowlers, both the pacers and spinners.
The USA bowlers led by Shadley van Schalkwyk had initially wrecked the Indian batting line-up to leave them tottering at 77/6 in 12.4 overs. Suryakumar then took things into his own hands to ensure India had something reasonable to fight with at 161.
In pursuit of a competitive 162, USA were off to a horror start with Indian bowlers applying pressure at the Wankhede. Mohammad Siraj and Arshdeep scalped three wickets between them as Andries Gous, Monank Patel and Saiteja Mukkamalla were dismissed with just 13 runs on the board. Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi then stitched a 58-run partnership.
Shubham Ranjane slammed 37 off 22 balls with two fours and three sixes to resist and delay the inevitable but India eventually emerged victors by 29 runs as the USA were restricted to 132/8 in 20 overs.
Siraj scalped 3/29 while Arshdeep and Axar Patel picked up two wickets apiece and Varun Chakravarthy took one wicket.
Earlier, Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through India’s famed batting line-up to shock the home side but captain Suryakumar Yadav’s timely innings of 84 rescued India to a healthy total of 161.
Suryakumar’s 84 off 49 balls was the highlight of the Indian batting effort that had a dramatic collapse triggered by Shadley van Schalkwyk, who returned with figures of 4/25.
Earlier, India were off to a rather sedate start by their own standards with just seven runs coming off the first over with Ishan Kishan managing a six off the fifth ball after USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar had tied him down in the first four deliveries.
It was then Ali Khan’s turn to silence the Wankhede crowd when he sent the swashbuckling Abhishek Sharma back to the pavilion for a golden duck off the first ball of the second over of the match.
Kishan was dropped by USA’s Shubham Ranjane on 10 off Ali Khan’s bowling as the India opener got a reprieve. The wicket-keeper batter then made USA pay for that by smashing a six over deep mid-wicket as the home side reached 44/1.
Thereafter, there was a mini-collapse with Kishan and then Tilak Varma falling in quick succession in the same over, the sixth.
And when Shivam Dube departed for a first-ball duck, India were in a seriously embarassing position at 46/4 at the end of the powerplay.
Shadley van Schalkwyk was the chief architect of India’s batting woes as he scalped three wickets in an over to snuff out Kishan, Varma and Dube.
USA were over the moon with their exceptional performance in the powerplay and stunning the Wankhede faithful.
There was a 26-run partnership between captain Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh that looked to give India some hope of a fighting total.
However, Mohammad Mohsin put paid to those plan as he had Rinku caught by Milind Kumar for six runs as India slipped to 72/5.
Hardik Pandya wanted to slice Harmeet Singh over extra cover but didn’t get enough on the shot as sweeper cover Saiteja Mukkamalla snapped him up for a mere five runs as India’s night went from bad to worse at 77/6.
New batter Axar Patel had a lot of work to do in the company of skipper Suryakumar.
Suryakumar brought up his half-century in 36 balls with seven fours and a six as he ended up being the only saving grace in India’s batting on a rare off night for them.
However, captain Surya absolutely went berserk come the 20th over as he slammed two sixes and two fours with 21 runs coming as India finished with a respectable 161/9.
India’s batting was effectively an anti-climax as the USA punched well above their weight to have the home side on their mat.
But Suryakumar’s excellent innings of 84 off 49 balls with 10 fours and four sixes saved the day for the World Champions.
