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IND vs USA: The Indian Cricket Team beat the United States of America in their first match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 despite a shoddy batting performance and an upset scare.

The India vs USA game was Match 3 of the 2026 T20 World Cup and was played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The United States won the toss and decided to bowl first on a pitch that looked bowling-friendly before the match.

IND vs USA: India Beats USA In Their First T20 World Cup Game

That notion about the pitch was correct, seeing that the USA dominated the early portions of this game. In-form opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck in the second over by pacer Ali Khan.

The pair of Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma did add a few runs together, taking the Men in Blue to 45 runs in the fifth over before Kishan was dismissed for 20 by Shadley van Schalkwyk.

This prompted a collapse of the Indian innings, as Tilak got out later in that over after making 25 off 16, and Shubham Dube was dismissed for a golden duck on the last ball of the powerplay.

The Indians were reeling at 46/4 and in desperate need of a partnership. This was provided by Rinku Singh and captain Suryakumar Yadav. The two otherwise explosive batters played slow and steady. While the partnership was worth 26 runs, Rinku made only six of those, and that too in 14 balls. In the 12th over, after Rinku’s dismissal, the score was 72/5.

Hardik Pandya had an off day with the bat as well, making just five runs before getting out as well.

Axar Patel then came in to support his skipper, who stood at one end, seeing all his teammates fall to a very professional-looking USA team. While Suryakumar reached his half-century, Axar made 14 off 11 before losing his wicket.

With only the tail remaining to support him, Yadav now took on all duties of making runs. A stellar death overs batting performance, especially taking on star bowler Saurabh Netravalkar; not only did Surya make an unbeaten 84 off 49, but he also took the team score to 161/9 at the end of their allotted 20 overs, a beyond respectable score.

Shadley van Schalkwyk was the star with the ball for the United States of America. His figures at the end of his four-over spell were 4/25. Three of those wickets came in that monumental third over, when he dismissed Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube.

Chasing down a decent total on a challenging pitch, the USA got off to a poor start to their innings. Wicketkeeper Andreis Gous was the first wicket, getting out for six in the second over.

Captain Monank Patel departed soon after for a duck in the third over. Then, in the fourth, the in-form opener Saiteja Mukkamalla was dismissed after making just two runs in seven deliveries.

USA’s middle order had a decent outing today, starting with the fourth-wicket partnership between Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi. The duo made 58 runs together in about eight overs. By the time Milind got out at the end of the 12th over for a run-a-ball 34, America’s score was 71/4.

Looking to pick the run rate up, Krishnamurthi was dismissed in the 16th over for 37 off 31. The tail, batting with all-rounder Shubham Ranjane, failed to make any notable contributions with the bat.

The United States’ innings ended with a flash, with Ranjane hitting a few boundaries before getting out on the final ball of the game for 37 off 22, as the USA ended their 20 overs with a score of 132/8.

The Indian Cricket Team, despite an early scare of an upset, won this game by 29 runs, kicking the 2026 T20 World Cup off with a solid win. For his fine batting display, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was named the Player of the Match.

With this win, India jumps to the top of Group A with a fine net run rate of 1.450. They will face Namibia in their next game on Thursday, February 12, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. On the other hand, the United States of America will take on Pakistan on Tuesday, February, in their next match at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo.

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