New Delhi, February 8: India kicked off its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory, defeating the USA by 29 runs at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. The win, however, was not straightforward, as the Indian team faced significant challenges during the match. Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s impressive unbeaten 84 runs and Mohammed Siraj’s exceptional bowling performance, claiming 3 wickets for 29 runs, were pivotal in securing the win for India in their home tournament’s opening match.
Prior to the match, India was under pressure due to the absence of all-rounder Harshit Rana, who was sidelined with an injury, and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who missed out due to illness. Batting first, India struggled on a pitch that offered movement and grip, losing 6 wickets for just 77 runs. USA’s Shadley Van Shalkwyk bowled effectively, putting India in a precarious position.
However, Suryakumar Yadav stepped up to the challenge. Leading his team in his first T20 World Cup match as captain, he played shots all around the ground, scoring 84 runs off 49 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes. Partnering with Axar Patel, he stabilized the innings, helping India reach a total of 161/9, a score deemed respectable.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj provided early breakthroughs, taking two wickets, supported well by Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel, who also claimed two wickets each. The USA found themselves in trouble, losing 3 wickets for just 13 runs. Although Sanjay Krishnamurthy and Milind Kumar managed to form a partnership of 58 runs, bringing some excitement to the match, the experienced Indian bowlers regained control.
Despite a valiant effort from Krishnamurthy (37 runs) and Shubham Ranjan (37 runs), India’s bowlers tightened their grip in the final overs, with Siraj and Arshdeep taking crucial wickets, restricting the USA to 132/9. Thus, India secured a hard-earned victory.
Key records from the India vs USA match include:
– Abhishek Sharma failed to score, marking his fourth career duck, and his third golden duck in the last five matches.
– Suryakumar Yadav became the fourth Indian player to score over 1000 runs as a T20 International captain, joining the ranks of Rohit Sharma (1905), Virat Kohli (1570), and MS Dhoni (1112). This was Yadav’s highest score as captain, surpassing his previous best of 68 runs against South Africa in Perth in 2022.
– Yadav’s unbeaten 84 is the second-highest score by a captain on T20 World Cup debut, following Chris Gayle’s 88 runs for West Indies against Australia in 2009 at The Oval.
– India set a new world record with their ninth consecutive win in the T20 World Cup.
– Suryakumar Yadav now holds the record for the most ‘Man of the Match’ awards (17) by an Indian player in T20 Internationals, surpassing his previous tie with Virat Kohli, both having 16 awards.
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