T20 World Cup 2026: India Face Major Setback As USA Capitalize On Men in Blue's Batting Collapse At Wankhede

T20 World Cup 2026: Before the start of the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India’s batting lineup received widespread praise for its explosive potential. However, the beginning of the prestigious ICC tournament turned out differently for the Men in Blue.

The defending champions suffered an early setback against the American bowlers, but Suryakumar Yadav carried the team on his shoulders. The Indian captain came to the crease in the sixth over and remained there until the end of the first innings. He walked in when India was at 45/2 and singlehandedly powered the team to 161/9.

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India's Batting Lineup Faces Serious Setback Against USA

On the second delivery of the second over, India faced its first blow when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck. The collapse continued, and by the sixth over India was struggling at 46/4 following a fiery spell from the USA bowling attack.

The sixth over proved decisive, as Shadley van Schalkwyk claimed three wickets in a single over. Shivam Dube also fell for a golden duck on the final delivery of that over. Ishan Kishan had shown promise with a six in the opening over, but he was dismissed in the second delivery of the sixth over for 20 runs off 16 balls. Soon after, Tilak Varma was removed for 25 runs off 16 balls in the fifth delivery of the same over.

Rinku Singh attempted to stabilize the innings by building a partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, but the middle order faltered again. Hardik Pandya was dismissed in the 13th over for just five runs from six balls.

India’s momentum shifted after a crucial 41-run stand between Suryakumar and Axar Patel. The skipper kept India’s hopes alive with a resilient knock.

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Suryakumar Yadav's Resilient Knock Power India To 161/9

Suryakumar played a captain’s innings, scoring 84 runs off 49 balls at a strike rate of 171.43. He struck 10 fours and 4 sixes during his stay at the crease. In the final over, the Indian captain smashed two sixes, helping India reach 161/9.

With his stunning performance on Saturday, February 7, Suryakumar etched his name into the history books. The top-order batter now holds the record for the second-highest score in a debut innings as captain in the T20 World Cup.

Chris Gayle tops the chart with his 88-run knock against Australia in 2009. Now, the Indian skipper occupies the second spot with his 84-run innings against the USA.