India beat the USA by 29 runs to kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign at Wankhede Stadium
Mohammed Siraj, a late inclusion after Harshit Rana’s injury, backed up his return with key bowling and athletic field efforts
Siraj nearly pulled off a spectacular diving catch at short third off an outside edge, underlining India’s intensity in the field
India’s opening ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was marked by high stakes and intense competition as defending champions India looked to set the tone in their title defence.
USA won the toss and elected to bowl first, bringing a surprise earlier in the day when star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to illness, with Mohammed Siraj coming into the XI in his place.
Batting first, India scored 161 runs in the first innings, thanks to skipper Suryakumar Yadav's 84-run knock. Meanwhile a breathtaking moment took place during the second innings, produced by star pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Mohammed Siraj’s Near-Miracle Moment in the Field
USA batter Milind Kumar tried to play a drive shot at a delivery outside off from Arshdeep Singh, the outside edge flew toward short third, and what followed was one of the match’s most talked-about fielding efforts.
Siraj, stationed at short third, reacted instantly as the ball flew toward him at pace. He threw himself full length to his right, stretching every muscle and managing to get his hands to the ball mid-dive, an athletic effort that drew gasps from the crowd. As he hit the ground with the ball in his gloves, it unfortunately popped out on impact with the turf, denying India a breakthrough.
It's a rare sight to see a pacer putting this kind of efforts without thinking about any injury concerns and putting their 100% in the fielding department as well.
India Beat USA By 29 Runs
India opened their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a strong 29-run win over the United States at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, kicking off their title defence in style.
USA won the toss and chose to bowl, but India’s batting rallied after early setbacks with skipper Suryakumar Yadav anchoring the innings with a superb 84 not out off 49 balls, guiding the hosts to 161 for 9. India’s bowlers then kept the pressure on throughout the chase, with disciplined spells and timely breakthroughs limiting the USA to 132 for 8 in their 20 overs.
