In a thrilling start to their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, the USA stunned fans by winning the toss against India and opting to bowl first at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. The match marks the third fixture of the tournament, and India faces a setback with star pacer Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to injury, paving the way for Mohammad Siraj to step in.
USA captain Monank Patel exuded confidence post-toss, highlighting the pitch’s high-scoring potential. ‘We’re bowling first. The wicket looks good, and this is a chasing ground. World Cup is our biggest stage, with huge expectations from USA cricket. We’ve had solid warm-ups at DY Patil,’ he said. Patel’s lineup features a balanced attack with six batters, two all-rounders, and three bowlers, ready to exploit early conditions.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who would have preferred batting first, remained optimistic. ‘The wicket looks batting-friendly, no dew expected with the breeze. Atmosphere is electric already,’ Yadav noted. The team misses Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson, but boasts a dynamic XI led by Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube.
This Group A clash kicks off India’s campaign, followed by Namibia on February 12, a high-stakes Pakistan encounter on February 15 (amid scheduling buzz), and Netherlands on February 18. Head-to-head, India dominates USA after a comfortable win in the 2024 T20 World Cup, restricting them to 110/8 and chasing in 18.2 overs.
India’s Playing XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj.
USA’s Playing XI: Saiteja Mukkamalla, Andries Gous (wk), Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Shubham Ranjane, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan.
As the teams stride out under Wankhede’s lights, cricket lovers worldwide anticipate a blockbuster opener that could set the tone for Group A fireworks.