India look for winning start against USA in T20 WC opener
The weight of expectations will sit lightly on their shoulders when a marauding India open their T20 World Cup campaign against a spirited USA on Saturday, hoping to become the first team to defend the coveted crown. World number one India have only gone from strength to strength despite losing two pillars in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from their title-winning campaign of 2024, ratcheting up an overall nine series wins since, including a rampant run in the Asia Cup last year.
The final pieces of the puzzle have also fallen in place for them with skipper Suryakumar Yadav making a strong comeback after a horrendous run with the bat in 2025. Ishan Kishan has made an explosive return as well to claim the opening slot as wicketkeeper-batter. An on-song Ishan will pair up with Abhishek Sharma, who is marked for excellence and domination in the world event given his pedigree and batting approach tailor-made for the slam-bang format.
India’s run-up to this tournament has been compared to the Australia of 2007 ODI World Cup, a different era and in a different format. But the notion gets fuel from the fact that there isn’t a single base that they have not covered. Suryakumar’s return to form, the assurance of Tilak Varma in the middle and the rich arsenal of all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, vice-captain Axar Patel and Shivam Dube makes this batting line-up incredibly tough to stop.
Also in the ranks is Rinku Singh, another batter of high calibre who would have his task cut-out as a finisher. Jasprit Bumrah has been handled with utmost care as India have come to realise his true value and requisite presence for big-ticket events. He will have the tidy Arshdeep Singh for company with the new ball, while Harshit Rana’s presence could also extend that batting line-up.
When in flow, Rana can crank up pace a notch or two above 140kmph which again provides another dimension to this Indian fast-bowling attack. In Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, India have two of the world’s best spinners for the format but their challenge would be to overcome the dew factor, which the legendary MS Dhoni has singled out as the trouble that could irritate the co-hosts. In their bid to ensure the best possible squad of 15 is available for this tournament, selectors and team management have meticulously carved out this group. (PTI )
