Sachin Tendulkar applauds USA fight, praises Suryakumar Yadav's match-winning knock

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Team India’s 29-run win over the United States in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. While he lauded Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning innings, Sachin also acknowledged the USA team for their spirited and energetic performance against the defending champions.

India’s campaign began on a positive note with a hard-fought victory, as the USA pushed the Men in Blue but ultimately fell short by 29 runs. The match was largely decided by Suryakumar Yadav, whose brilliant 84 off 49 balls rescued India from 77/6 and helped post a competitive total of 161/9 in their 20 overs. He was the only batter to reach a half-century, displaying remarkable composure under pressure.

Sachin shared his thoughts on X, applauding both India’s finish and the USA’s fight. “A tense start, but a calm finish for Team India. When new teams step up to the occasion, cricket’s global rise accelerates — @usacricket did that yesterday, and their energy and enthusiasm was promising! They came close to giving us some nervous moments, but @surya_14kumar’s experience and composure under pressure guided India to a respectable total. Our bowlers did the rest for us. Well done Team India, always good to start on a winning note!”

During India’s innings, Suryakumar Yadav smashed 10 fours and four sixes. Ishan Kishan contributed 20 off 16 balls, hitting one four and two sixes, while Tilak Varma added 25 from 16 deliveries with three fours and a six. Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/29) and Harmeet Singh (2/26) were the main wicket-takers for the USA.

Chasing 162, the USA fell short at 132/8. Milind Kumar made 34 off 34 balls, Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 37 from 31 with two sixes and a four, and Shubham Ranjane hit 37 off 22 balls, including three sixes. India’s bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj (3/29), Axar Patel (2/24), and Arshdeep Singh (2/18), ensured the visitors could not get close to the target.

India thus began their T20 World Cup title defence with a win, thanks to Surya’s composure and a collective team effort.


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