India's top-order suffer a tragic collapse against the USA in T20 World Cup opener
Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube departed for a golden duck
Suryakumar Yadav fighting alone with vice-captain Axar Patel
It wasn't the dream start or the kind of start Suryakumar Yadav & Co. had envisioned. A first-ball duck for a precocious talent like Abhishek Sharma on his World Cup debut was followed by a meltdown.
India are the giants of the game, and in the shortest format of the game, with the IPL serving as a veritable conveyor belt of talent, they enter every fixture as favourites.
But on Saturday at Wankhede Stadium, the hallowed ground where legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni's iconic six clinched the ODI World Cup in 2011, the Men in Blue appeared to underestimate the Americans.
They were "staring down the hole," as Harsha Bhogle narrated the turn of events. India were 77/6 in the 13th over with Hardik Pandya the latest to walk back, head stooping.
If lessons can be learnt, Pakistan were forced to dig deep against the Netherlands in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 opener earlier in the day in Colombo.
Scotland also challenged the West Indies, albeit briefly, in Kolkata in the second match of the tournament.
Then came the prime time, and Indian stars found themselves clutching at straws even as an expectant Mumbai crowd grappled with emotions.
After all, the majority of the players representing the United States of America were of Indian origins, and the so-called expatriates are coming home with an agenda of their own.
And they now have a magnificent opportunity to produce one of the greatest shocks in the sporting world. A team bankrolled by the riches of BCCI losing the plot against an outfit of nobody, with their own board in financial mess and suspended by the ICC!
How The USA Bowlers Inflicted Horror Show In Wankhede?
Here's how the star-studded Indian batting line-up collapsed, leaving skipper Yadav with the onerous task of rebuilding the innings. For the uninitiated, he was India's saviour when the two teams met in the last edition.
USA captain Monank Patel had won the toss and chose to bowl first in front of a jampacked Wankhede Stadium filled with Indian supporters. Even though the venue is known for its batting friendly nature, the Indian top-order struggled to find their feet in this green-top wicket.
It is not the typical Mumbai red-soil surface where the ball comes easily to the bat. But India's early scare cannot be solely credited to pitch as the USA bowlers were spot on right from the start.
Right-arm pacer Ali Khan got the early breakthrough when he led to the dismissal of the dangerous Indian opener Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck. India looked to have settled momentarily when Ishan Kishan launched a few sixes and fours but he was eventually sent back for 20 by Shadley van Schalkwyk in the 6th over.
The onus was then on Tilak Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who was forced to come out to the middle very early today. After playing a few good shots, Tilak became Shadley's second scalp with a soft dismissal for 25 off 16.
What followed was even more catastrophic. Shivam Dube registered the night's second golden duck for India, while lower-order powerhouses Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya got out for 6 and 5 respectively while trying to play the big shots.
At the time of writing, India were currently 86/6 after 14 overs. Not the kind of start the Indian fans expected. The crowd has gone absolutely silent and the USA can already smell an upset coming up, if they are able to remain consistent and spot on with their plans throughout the night.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: When Is India And USA's Next Match
While India will take on Namibia in Delhi in their second Group A match on Wednesday, February 11, the USA will square off against Pakistan on Tuesday, February 10 in Colombo.
