Mumbai, Feb 7 (NationPress) Captain Suryakumar Yadav delivered a stunning unbeaten 84, while seasoned pacer Mohammad Siraj took 3-29 in a last-minute substitution, as India clinched a hard-fought 29-run victory over the USA in their opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in Mumbai on Saturday.

As the reigning champions entering the home World Cup, India faced immense pressure to secure their third title. Their campaign took an early hit when all-rounder Harshit Rana was sidelined due to injury, compounded by Jasprit Bumrah's decision to miss the match due to illness.

This affected their morale significantly, as they were put to bat first on a Wankhede pitch that provided early movement, leaving them struggling at 77/6 against some impressive bowling from the USA.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav rose to the occasion, scoring a half-century in his debut as captain in the T20 World Cup, helping the team to a modest total of 161/9. Siraj then took charge with a crucial two-wicket burst, complemented by Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel, each claiming two wickets, leading to a 29-run triumph over the USA.

Continuing his excellent form in 2026, Suryakumar recorded his fourth half-century in six matches, reaching the milestone of 1000 runs as captain. His score of 84* is the second-highest by an Indian captain, trailing only Rohit Sharma's 92 not out against Australia in 2024.

This marked Suryakumar Yadav's 29th half-century in T20Is, following his starts in 2026 with scores of 32, 82 not out, and 57*. His only failure came in Visakhapatnam, scoring just eight runs before concluding the five-match series against New Zealand with a 63 off 30 balls.

Siraj's impressive figures of 3-29, along with Arshdeep's 2-18 and Axar's 2-24, restricted the USA to 132/9 in their 20 overs at Wankhede Stadium, marking a successful start in Group A.

Siraj was called up as a last-minute replacement for injured Harshit Rana and stepped into the lineup when Jasprit Bumrah fell ill. He quickly boosted the spirits of the depleted bowling attack with a phenomenal two-wicket start in his initial two overs, taking out Andries Gous (6) and Saiteja Mukkamalla (2), with Varun Chakravarthy completing an easy catch.

In the meantime, Arshdeep Singh dismissed USA skipper Monank Patel for a duck, reducing the USA to 13/3. Siraj had impressive figures of 2-18 after three overs.

Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Milind Kumar attempted to stabilize the innings, adding 58 runs for the fourth wicket, playing cautiously against Indian spinners while managing to score boundaries when possible. Varun Chakravarthy provided a crucial breakthrough for India, stumping Milind Kumar out of his crease, who scored a run-a-ball 34 with three fours and a six.

Krishnamurthi continued on, hitting sixes off Axar and Hardik, and a four off Varun, before getting out for 37 off 31 deliveries. Axar struck twice in quick succession, reducing the USA to 98/6 in the 16th over.

Shubham Ranjane contributed some late fireworks with his 37, but the USA's innings fell apart due to both inexperience and exceptional bowling from the Indians. Siraj and Arshdeep each claimed a wicket in their second spells to secure the win.

Earlier, captain Suryakumar Yadav's phenomenal unbeaten 84 helped India recover from a precarious 77/6 to set a competitive total of 161/9.

Van Schalkwyk sparked the collapse by dismissing Ishan Kishan (20, 16b, 1x4, 2x6) with a slower ball, followed by Tilak Varma (25, 16b, 3x4, 1x6) who fell to a short ball. Shivam Dube soon followed on the next delivery, caught trying to play a risky shot. Saurabh Netravalkar executed a smart catch at short fine leg, leaving India in a tight spot at 46/4.

However, Suryakumar Yadav showcased his batting prowess on such a wicket, hitting 10 fours and four sixes in his 49-ball innings, enabling the defending champions to post a respectable total.

Surya and his deputy Axar Patel collaborated effectively, taking the team to a competitive score. They smashed 21 runs off the 16th over bowled by local lad turned US cricketer, Saurabh Netravalkar. Patel struck boundaries off the first two deliveries, while Surya concluded the most expensive over with a four and a six.

The Indian skipper demonstrated his trademark 360-degree shot-making, hitting boundaries off both Netravalkar and Shadley van Schalkwyk, who had troubled India with 4-25 in his first spell. He scored 21 runs in the final over, allowing India to reach a defendable total.

Brief scores:

India 161/9 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 84 not out, Tilak Varma 25; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4-25, Harmeet Singh 2-26) defeated USA 132/9 in 20 overs (Sanjay Krishnamurthi 37, Shubham Ranjane 37, Milind Kumar 31; Mohammad Siraj 3-29, Axar Patel 2-24, Arshdeep Singh 2-18.