India opened their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 29-run victory over the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai,
in a match that turned out to be far more challenging than expected. With talk of a “300 alert” doing the rounds before the game, few anticipated a low-scoring contest where batting required patience and adaptability rather than brute force.
After being put under pressure early, the Men in Blue found themselves reeling at 77 for 6, as the USA bowlers, led by Shadley van Schalkwyk, produced a disciplined and aggressive effort. What followed was a masterclass in crisis management from the India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who anchored the innings with a superb 84 off 49 deliveries, dragging India to a competitive 161 for 9.
Suryakumar admitted the pressure of the situation when India were reduced to 77 for 6 but backed his experience of batting in similar conditions to see the team through.
“Only I can tell actually at the position which we were in, 77 for 6, how much pressure I was feeling. But then at the same time, I had that belief that I have batted in similar situations. And also when I have played my lot of cricket here in Maidans of Mumbai cricket, Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan. So I knew that if I bat till the end, I can make a difference,” he said at the post-match presentation.
Reflecting on the surface at the Wankhede Stadium, the 35-year-old felt conditions were slightly unusual and acknowledged that India could have adapted better as a batting unit.
“It was a little different wicket from what it is always at Wankhede. But at the same time, we knew when we woke up in the morning, we saw outside there wasn't a lot of sun outside. I think curator and the groundsmen, they tried their best to prepare the best pitch. But I think a few things are not in their control. So there wasn't enough sunlight to have that pitch rolled, watered. Maybe because of that, but we can't be brushing everything under the carpet. We could have batted a little better,” Suryakumar added.
Despite the win, the Men in Blue captain stressed that the side still had lessons to take from the innings collapse and highlighted the importance of partnerships. He also revealed the conversation during the break when India were six down, which shaped his approach for the rest of the innings.
“I think after winning also, you get to learn a lot of things. And today we learned that we could have batted a little better or maybe a little smarter. Those small, small partnerships could have got us to 160 rather than one batter or two batter trying to play it till the end. But at the same time, it's okay. We sit around aaram se [sit relaxed], we have a lot of time, five days for the next game and we'll come back stronger.
“I always felt that there was a need for a batter to bat till the end. I never felt that it was a 180-190 wicket. I felt it was a 140 wicket. But then Gauti [Gautam Gambhir - the head coach] bhai told me the same thing during the break after the 14 overs. He told me, just try and bat till the end, you can cover it any time. And also, most important thing, I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay, this wicket and also maidans of Mumbai cricket. So I know how to bat on similar kind of wickets,” the skipper reflected.
