🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: M3: IND vs USA at Mumbai on 07/02/26🏏 - Page 3

Banana-peel fixture

For a team that has dominated this World Cup cycle like no other, the opening round offers no real banana peels. If the Pakistan Government can be convinced to reverse its stance on the February 15 fixture, that Colombo game could present a subtle shift, with conditions expected to bring spin into play far more than at home.

Even so, this is a team built to absorb such a change. They have spin-hitters in their line-up to combat such challenges, and quality spinners of their own to turn this potential bug bear into an advantage. This might just be the match for India to unleash both Kuldeep and Varun. That however, will need sacrificing a bit of their batting depth with enabler Harshit Rana ruled out.

What a good World Cup looks like

India head into the tournament as the gold standard of T20 cricket everyone else is chasing. Anything less than a final appearance will go down as underperformance.

Mighty India meet multicultural USA in polarised World Cup

This match is a homecoming for Mumbai boys Harmeet Singh and Saurabh Netravalkar

Big picture: No context 2026

The USA national team has only four players born in the USA, all of them children of immigrants. The other 11 are first-generation immigrants.

Three of those 11 were born in Pakistan. Their captain Monank Patel, and four others, were born in India. Monank recently told PTI there is "no Indian or Pakistani when you represent the USA."

This team of Indian, Pakistani, South African and Sri Lankan immigrants will get under the star-sprangled banner and start, against India, their campaign in this T20 World Cup, during whose build-up the world has seemed to grow increasingly polarised.

Make of it what you will. Be relieved that cricket still has room for these niceties, or be despondent that this small win is worth celebrating.

Amid all the politicking, what has probably not been celebrated enough is the T20 excellence India have put together. Over nine editions, the T20 world title has neither been defended successfully nor been won at home. On Saturday, in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium where they won the 2011 ODI title, India will begin their campaign promising that both can be achieved in a month's time.

Mumbai will have plenty of local boys to root for, from both sides.

Form guide

India WLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

USA WWLWW

In the spotlight: Harmeet Singh and Ishan Kishan

Fourteen years ago, Ian Chappell wrote that left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, born in Mumbai and an Under-19 World Cup winner for India, was ready for international cricket. Watching Harmeet, Chappell was put in the mind of Bishan Singh Bedi. Here he is, an international cricketer via a circuitous route, back in his place of birth to take on the team representing his country of birth.

Six months ago, Ishan Kishan was not even on the World Cup radar. Then Shubman Gill got injured and fell short of runs on his T20I comeback. Kishan blasted all comers during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So he entered the World Cup squad as the back-up wicketkeeper-batter. Then Sanju Samson fell short of runs. Now, if India's World Cup warm-up fixture was anything to go by, Kishan is the No. 1 choice to partner Abhishek Sharma at the top. And if he can get off to a good start, he is likely to keep his place for the business end of the tournament.

Bumrah To Miss the USA Opener

As India prepares to take on the USA in the T20 World Cup opener, the Men in Blue will likely miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah, who has reportedly fallen ill. According to the report by The Indian Express, Bumrah was down with the viral fever and is likely to take the field in India’s opening match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The 32-year-old did not feature in India’s warm-up match against South Africa and made an appearance in the pre-match practice session at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but did not train.

As per the report by the Indian Express, the Team India management will not rush Jasprit Bumrah back into action and is expected to give him a rest to ensure full recovery, keeping his workload and the crucial stages of the tournament in mind.

https://x.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/2019990288799006863

Suryakumar Yadav and Harmeet Singh have teamed up for Mumbai six times in first-class cricket, all in 2015.

The one time they played against each other, during the 2024 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar scored a match-winning run-a-ball half-century in a tricky chase.

Originally posted by: Savera84

IND vs USA Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter: Abhishek Sharma

The Men in Blue opener Abhishek Sharma is in the form of his life. The youngster has managed to defy the law of averages to become the top-ranked batter in the shortest format of the game at the moment. During his last T20I at the Wankhede, Abhishek scored a blistering 135 off just 54 deliveries, which came against England about a year ago. He would want to continue the attacking against the Americans as well.

Tilak Varma and SKY at No.3 and 4. Tilak is a mix of audacity and tenacity. He can take on the bowlers at will, even target spinners and hold one end tight if needed. SKY had a miserable run of form until the recently concluded New Zealand series. He kept talking about hitting the ball well in nets even when the runs weren't there to show in matches. He said that with a smile too. People trolled him. Questioned him as leader. But that smile showed how mentally strong he was even in that lengthy lean period and eventually proved his words right by getting the touch back against the Blackcaps.

India have a method to their madness too. They unleash Abhishek Sharma right at the top. Give him a list of the best bowlers in the opposition and he will make sure to step out and hit out each one of them every single game. Ishan Kishan has kicked the selection door open by bulldozing his way through domestic cricket. The look in his eyes clearly tells, he's determined to do something special. These two batters have very poor memory of taking singles because the moment they bring the bat down they want to clear the infield.

Hardik Pandya is a beast now. Walks out with swag, attacks the first ball he faces and ignites the crowd instantly. He is in some incredible, clean-hitting form. He offers an over or two in the powerplay and at a later stage as well. Shivam Dube - a well known spin basher. Teams have tried to use the short ball but he's found a way for it as well to extend India's power in the finisher's department. Nowadays he is adamant of taking at least one wicket every time he bowls as well.

It just doesn't stop with the bat though. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh have formed an incredible combo at the death to put India as one of the best bowling attacks in the final 4-5 overs in T20Is these days. Varun Chakaravarthy tortures teams through the middle overs, in fact any phase, with his mystery and if India somehow find a combo that can fit Kuldeep Yadav as well, it gets even tougher for the opponents. With bat, the power, the ball and the skill, it's a well-oiled machine that's ready to vroom.

The USA were impressive the last time they played the World Cup. They stunned Pakistan, ran South Africa close and showed good skill. It will be homecoming literally for some of their players. Shubham Ranjane, Milind Kumar, Harmeet Singh and Saurabh Netravalkar - some of them have played for Mumbai, some for Delhi and other teams and some have even played at the Wankhede before. The entire team will reaching out to these players for knowledge transfer of how to go about business here. Playing India in a World Cup game in India is going to be pretty special for them.