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Kathmandu: In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, defending champion India defeated the USA by 29 runs.
The USA tested Suryakumar Yadav’s team hard, but India eventually triumphed by 29 runs. After winning the toss, India batted first and posted 161 runs for 9 wickets. At one stage, the team looked unlikely to even reach 150. The USA had a golden chance to cause an upset but managed only 132 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.
Four Indian Wickets Fell in the Powerplay
Batting first after losing the toss, India’s start was poor. Opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck on the very first ball, with the score at 8 runs. Eshan Kishan and Tilak Varma then added 37 runs for the second wicket. But in the final over of the powerplay, Shadley van Schalkwyk broke India’s backbone, dismissing Kishan, Varma, and Shivam Dube. Kishan scored 20 off 16 balls, while Tilak Varma made 25 off 16.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav Stood Tall
Rinku Singh (6) and Hardik Pandya (5) failed to contribute much. But captain Suryakumar Yadav held one end firmly. Alongside Axar Patel, he added 41 runs for the seventh wicket, taking India past 100. Despite wickets tumbling, Surya remained composed and struck a brilliant half-century — his 25th in T20 internationals. He stayed unbeaten on 84 off 49 balls, hitting 4 sixes and 10 fours. In the final over bowled by Saurabh Netravalkar, Surya smashed 2 fours and 2 sixes, collecting 21 runs to lift India’s total to 161/9.
Shadley van Schalkwyk was the most successful bowler, taking 4 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs. Harmeet Singh also impressed with 2 wickets for 26 runs in his 4 overs.
