India begins World Cup with a win

Captain Surya Kumar Yadav's (84 not out) brilliant half-century and Mohammed Siraj's (three wickets) impressive bowling helped India win their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA by 29 runs on Saturday. Chasing a target of 162 runs, the American team managed to score only 132 runs in the stipulated 20 overs, losing eight wickets.

Mohammed Siraj ended the match with a devastating yorker, getting Shubham Ranjane LBW on the last ball. Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets and playing a crucial role in the team's victory.

The American team faced severe difficulties in the initial overs while chasing the target of 162 runs, and the batting lineup came under pressure due to frequent wickets. In the third over, Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh got American captain Monank Patel caught at mid-off on a full-length outswinger, and he returned to the pavilion without scoring.

After this wicket, American batting became even more uncertain, while Indian bowlers maintained a tight line and length with the new ball. In the fourth over, Mohammed Siraj also gave his team an important breakthrough when Sai Teja Mukkamalla tried to play a lofted shot and got caught at mid-wicket. He scored only two runs off seven balls.

The American team struggled due to continuous wickets in the initial overs, while the Indian fast bowling attack tightened its grip on the match with an aggressive and effective spell. In the fourth over, Mohammed Siraj also gave his team an important breakthrough when Sai Teja Mukkamalla tried to play a lofted shot and got caught at mid-wicket. He scored only two runs off seven balls.

The American team struggled due to continuous wickets in the initial overs, while the Indian fast bowling attack tightened its grip on the match with an aggressive and effective spell. Before the 19th over, the American team tried to recover in the middle overs and crossed the 50-run mark in the 11th over, thanks to a four by Millind Kumar. However, in the 12th over, Ishan Kishan stumped Millind Kumar on Varun Chakravarthy's ball, ending a crucial partnership. Millind Kumar scored 34 runs.

In the 14th over, Sanjay Krishnamurthy hit a brilliant six over mid-wicket off Axar Patel's first ball, but on the very next two balls, Axar Patel got Krishnamurthy caught for 37 runs and then Hermann caught without scoring, reducing the American team to six wickets down.

In the final stages of the match, Indian bowlers maintained their pressure, and in the 18th over, Arshdeep Singh got Mohammed Mohsin caught for eight runs, where Tilak Verma took a fine catch at deep mid-wicket. As a result, the American team struggled to chase the target due to continuous wickets, while the Indian bowling attack performed consistently and aggressively.

For India, Siraj took three wickets, Arshdeep and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each, and Varun got one wicket. Earlier, the USA won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Indian team, which batted first, had a poor start, and Abhishek Sharma returned to the pavilion without scoring. Then, Tilak Verma and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings, and the two shared a 37-run partnership. However, in the sixth over, Shadley Van Schalkwyk took three wickets, pushing India on the back foot. Ishan Kishan (20), Tilak Verma (25), and Shivaam Dube (zero) got out quickly, while Hardik Pandya scored only five runs.

After losing six wickets for just 77 runs, the Indian team was in trouble, but Axar Patel and Surya Kumar Yadav provided support. The two added 41 runs for the seventh wicket. In the 17th over, Hermait Singh got Axar Patel (14) out, ending the partnership. Arshdeep Singh (4) and Varun Chakravarthy (zero) also got out, but Surya Kumar Yadav continued to score runs quickly from one end. India scored 161 runs in the stipulated 20 overs, losing nine wickets. Surya Kumar Yadav played an unbeaten innings of 84 runs off 49 balls, hitting 10 fours and four sixes. For the USA, Shadley Van Schalkwyk took four wickets with his devastating bowling, while Hermait Singh got two wickets, and Ali Khan and Mohammed Mohsin claimed one wicket each.