The iconic Wankhede Stadium turned into a sea of blue on Saturday as India squared off against the United States of America in the 3rd match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In what was expected to be a straightforward encounter, the partisan Mumbai crowd was treated to a rollercoaster of emotions. While the underdog Americans punched above their weight with a disciplined bowling performance, a captain’s knock from local hero Suryakumar Yadav ensured India secured a 29-run victory, maintaining their dominant start to the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav plays a captain’s knock after India’s top-order collapse against USA
The match began with a stunned silence as the USA seamers exploited the early evening moisture. Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck in the second over, and the pressure mounted when Ishan Kishan (20) and Tilak Varma (25) were dismissed in quick succession. The Wankhede faithful watched in disbelief as Shivam Dube walked back for a golden duck, leaving India reeling at 46/4 before the Powerplay had even concluded. Shadley van Schalkwyk was the wrecker-in-chief, finishing with impressive figures of 4/25.
However, the Suryakumar decided to play a different brand of cricket. Stepping into his role as captain, SKY anchored the innings with tactical brilliance. While partners like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya struggled to find timing, Suryakumar remained unfazed. He reached his half-century off 36 balls, then accelerated with a flurry of trademark ramps and extra-cover drives. His unbeaten 84 off 49 balls, featuring 7 boundaries and 10 towering sixes, single-handedly dragged India from a precarious position to a competitive total of 161/9. His ability to manipulate the field during the death overs proved to be the difference-maker, as India added 50 runs in the final six overs despite losing wickets at the other end.
India’s disciplined bowling attack stifles USA’s historic pursuit in T20 World Cup 2026
Defending 161, the Indian bowling unit, led by Mohammed Siraj, hit their straps immediately. The USA’s chase never truly found its rhythm as Siraj removed Andries Gous and Saiteja Mukkamalla early, while Arshdeep Singh sent Monank Patel packing for a duck. Within the first 20 balls, the USA were reduced to 13/3, effectively ending hopes of a massive upset.
The Americans showed resilience in the middle overs, spearheaded by Milind Kumar (34) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (37). Their 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket kept the scoreboard ticking and gave the Indian fans a brief scare. However, India’s spin twins, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy, tightened the screws. Patel’s double-strike in the 16th over, removing both Krishnamurthi and Harmeet Singh, effectively broke the back of the chase.
Despite a late cameo from Shubham Ranjane (37 off 22), the asking rate proved too high. USA finished their 20 overs at 132/8, handing India a hard-fought 29-run win. While the USA earned respect for their gritty performance, it was the genius of SKY that ensured the hosts stayed on track for World Cup glory.
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Here’s how fans reacted:
India begin their campaign on a winning note 🙂#cricket #INDvUSA #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/VgSKKBZ4WM
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 7, 2026
Wankhede roars for its King! Under SKY’s captaincy, India secures a dominant first win against the USA. 🌌🏏 #Suryakumaryadav #INDvUSA #T20WorldCup #T20WC2026 pic.twitter.com/pSyz9aQSVs
— Gujral Kumar (@GujralK88320) February 7, 2026
🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨
India BEAT USA BY 29 RUNS 🇮🇳🔥
📍 Wankhede Stadium•CONFIDENT WIN.
•STRONG STATEMENT.
•T20 WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN OFF TO A FLYING START. 🏆💪#T20WorldCup #INDvUSA #INDvsUSA pic.twitter.com/adq9AOBy2B— Ravi (@ravi97140) February 7, 2026
#INDvUSA #T20WorldCup
Indian people rn: pic.twitter.com/d3y42j4nIO— || अंशुल || ANSHUL || (@ianshuldabgar) February 7, 2026
🚨CAPTAIN SURYAKUMAR YADAV DELIVERS WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. 🫡🔥
– An unbeaten 84 (49) with 10 fours and 4 sixes rescued India from 77/6 and turned the game around. 🇮🇳#T20WorldCup #INDvsUSA #SuryakumarYadav
pic.twitter.com/4TsyvuahAu— 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐡. (@CrickRitesh_18) February 7, 2026
The “S” in SKY stands for Savior. 🌌
Make no mistake, this victory belongs to Suryakumar Yadav. He stepped up when it mattered most and single-handedly changed the game. All credit to the man, the superhero! 👑🏏
#SuryakumarYadav
#INDvsUSA #T20WC2026 #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/26icoXmCHW— KALESHI TOON (@To_kaleshi) February 7, 2026
Suryakumar Yadav🚨😍#INDvsUSA pic.twitter.com/mQlnin8SXp
— Avi (@Gamesbyavi) February 7, 2026
🚨 PAKISTANI FANS CRYING IN THE CORNER 🚨
– India were 77/6 in 12 overs, then Suryakumar Yadav rescued India with brilliant 84(49)🔥
– During USA Innings, the actual crying 😭 of Pakistani fans started, when India bowlers dominated USA 😂#INDvsUSA pic.twitter.com/JR0McyETxT
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) February 7, 2026
🫡🔥 A true captaincy knock by Suryakumar Yadav
A brilliant fifty under pressure, when India needed it the most.
People may call it a “minnow-basher” innings later, but anyone who actually watched the game knows how big the impact was.Class shows when the team is in trouble.… pic.twitter.com/RelgZADTA1
— Reporrt (@reporrtofficial) February 7, 2026
When Abhishek flops,
When Tilak flops,
When Ishan flops,
When Rinku flops,
When Dube flops,
When Hardik flops,
When Axar flops– Suryakumar Yadav came to the rescue, when the Indian batting line-up collapsed🔥 pic.twitter.com/aaG58K5Pc7
— Indian Cricket (@IPL2025Auction) February 7, 2026
Suryakumar Yadav: 84(49)*
The success you know, The reason you don’t#INDvsUSA pic.twitter.com/FqULY3wDHM
— A CHILL SOUL (@achillsoul) February 7, 2026
Also READ: IND vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026: Here’s why Jasprit Bumrah is not playing today’s match
