Sachin Tendulkar praised India’s composure under pressure while applauding the United States for pushing the defending champions hard in their T20 World Cup opener, a contest that briefly tilted on its
head before India eventually prevailed by 29 runs.
Reacting to the match, Tendulkar highlighted both India’s calm finish and the growing competitiveness of emerging teams. “A tense start, but a calm finish for Team India,” he wrote on X. “When new teams step up to the occasion, cricket’s global rise accelerates – @usacricket did that yesterday, and their energy and enthusiasm was promising! They came close to giving us some nervous moments, but @surya_14kumar’s experience and composure under pressure guided India to a respectable total. Our bowlers did the rest for us. Well done Team India, always good to start on a winning note!”
Asked to bat first, India were immediately put under pressure by disciplined USA bowling and sharp field placements. The warning signs were clear early, with no run coming off the first four balls and Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a first-ball duck. Brief resistance from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma raised hopes, but a flurry of wickets saw India slump to 77 for six inside 13 overs, with Shadley van Schalkwyk leading the collapse.
Amid the chaos, captain Suryakumar Yadav stood firm. Drawing on his experience at the Wankhede, he rebuilt patiently before launching a late assault, finishing unbeaten on 84 from 49 balls. His innings, featuring 10 fours and four sixes, lifted India from a precarious position to 161 for nine.
In reply, the USA never recovered from early damage. Mohammed Siraj, drafted in for an unwell Jasprit Bumrah, struck twice in his first spell as the USA slid to 13 for three. Although Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Shubham Ranjane offered resistance, tight spells from Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy ensured the chase never gained momentum, with the USA ending on 132 for eight.
