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Yuzvendra Chahal predicts India’s playing XI for T20 World Cup 2026 opener vs USA, Sanju Samson opens with Abhishek Sharma.

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has shared his ideal playing XI for the defending champions’ opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

In a video shared by Star Sports on X (formerly Twitter), Chahal backed Sanju Samson to open alongside explosive left-hander Abhishek Sharma, despite Samson’s underwhelming form in the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand (just 46 runs).

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Chahal’s selection notably leaves out in-form Ishan Kishan, who shone brightly during the New Zealand series, and his spin partner Kuldeep Yadav, who has featured in only five T20Is since the 2025 Asia Cup final.

This 11-man combination features a powerful top order, deep hitting options, and a balanced attack with two spinners (Axar and Varun) suited to Mumbai’s conditions, plus two specialist seamers (Bumrah and Arshdeep) for swing and death-over control.

Key selection choices and rationale

Chahal showed faith in Sanju Samson as an opener despite his recent struggles, trusting the former Rajasthan Royals skipper’s experience and big-match temperament. He highlighted Tilak Varma’s proven success at No. 3, especially after the left-hander’s impressive fitness return in recent warm-ups (38 off 24 vs USA in India A match).

The middle order remains unchanged: Suryakumar Yadav at 4 for stability and innovation, followed by Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh for explosive finishing. In bowling, Chahal opted for Varun Chakaravarthy’s mystery spin over Kuldeep, pairing him with Axar’s control, while relying on Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as the pace core.

India’s historic ambitions in Group A

As defending champions (2024 winners), India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. They aim to achieve three unprecedented feats:

• Become the first team to successfully defend the Men’s T20 World Cup title.
• Win the tournament on home soil (co-hosted with Sri Lanka).
• Claim a record third T20 World Cup crown.

The opener against USA at Wankhede offers a perfect start on a batting-friendly pitch, with India favored to dominate. Chahal’s prediction adds intrigue to selection debates, especially around the opener and spin slots ahead of the high-stakes tournament.

Chahal’s playing XI vs USA: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

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