Mumbai, Feb 7 (LatestNewsX) Last-minute replacement Mohammad Siraj led with a lion-hearted effort, claiming 3-29 and with Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claiming two wickets apiece, India defeated USA by 29 runs to start their campaign on a winning note in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Saturday.
Asked to bat first on a helpful pitch, India had survived a scare and an early collapse, reduced to 77/6, thanks to a majestic unbeaten 84 by skipper Suryakumar Yadav to post a defendable 161/9. Later, the bowlers got into the act to help the defending champions start with a win.
Siraj claimed 3-29, Arshdeep bagged 2-18, and Axar claimed 2-24 as India restricted the USA to 132/9 in 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium, struggling to victory in their first match in Group A.
Brought into the squad on Friday as a replacement for injured Harshit Rana, Siraj was drafted into the playing XI when pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah fell ill and was unavailable for this match.
He lifted the morale of the depleted bowling attack and made a running start with a superb two-wicket burst in his first two overs, providing the breakthrough by getting Andries Gous (6) to hit uppishly to Tilak Varma at cover-point and then accounting for fellow opener Saiteja Mukkamalla (2), who mistimed a fullish-length delivery on middle and off, which nipped in, and Varun Chakravarthy completed an easy catch.
In between, Arshdeep Singh sent back USA skipper Monank Patel for a duck as India reduced USA to 13/3. Siraj had figures of 2-18 from his first three overs.
Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Milind Kumar repaired the innings, raising 58 runs for the fourth wicket, playing cautiously against the Indian spinners, and managing to score a boundary or two whenever the chance came. Varun Chakravarthy provided the much-needed breakthrough for India when he lured Milind Kumar out of his crease with Ishan Kishan completing an easy stumping. Milind scored a run-a-ball 34, hitting three fours and a six.
Krishnamurthi kept the other end going, hitting Axar and Hardik for a six each and a four off Varun. He mostly scored in singles and twos to reach 37 off 31 balls before Axar got him lashing at a tossed-up fullish delivery to be caught in the deep. Harmeet Singh fell on the next ball for a first-ball duck as the two-wicket blitz reduced USA to 98/6 in the 16th over.
With the asking rate mounting, the USA needed some big overs, but that did not happen as they needed 58 runs from the last three overs.
Mohammad Mohsin (8 off 9 balls) scooped a widish one from Arshdeep Singh for a four, but the pacer had the last laugh as he got the batter off the very next ball for his second wicket of the match. USA down to 110/7.
Shubham Ranjane lashed a couple of boundaries, including a six off Hardik Pandya and a four off Siraj, as he was the last man out for 37 to Siraj as USA slumped to their second defeat in two World Cups against India.
Brief scores:
India 161/9 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 84 not out, Tilak Varma 25; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4-25, Harmeet Singh 2-26) beat USA 132/9 in 20 overs (Sanjay Krishnamurthi 37, Shubham Ranjane 37, Milind Kumar 31; Mohammad Siraj 3-29, Axar Patel 2-24, Arshdeep Singh 2-18,
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