cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar India defeated the United States by 29 runs in the opening match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. While he was praising Suryakumar YadavSachin also acknowledged Team USA’s spirited performance against the defending champions in the winning match.India got off to a positive start in the campaign with a hard-fought victory as the United States overpowered the Men in Blue, but ultimately lost by 29 points. The match was largely decided by Suryakumar Yadav, who smashed 84 off 49 balls to rescue India from 77/6 and helped them post a competitive total of 161/9 in 20 overs. He is the only batsman to reach a half-century and showed remarkable composure under pressure.
Sachin Tendulkar Post
Sachin shared his thoughts on X, praising India’s finish and the US’s fight. “India had a nervous start but ended calmly. Cricket’s global rise accelerates when new teams come in – @usacricket did just that yesterday and their energy and enthusiasm were inspiring! They almost gave us some tense 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 to Team India, it’s always good to start with a win! “During the match against India, Suryakumar Yadav hit 10 fours and four sixes. Ishan Kishan contributed 20 off 16 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes, while Tilak Varma contributed 25 off 16 balls with 3 fours and 1 six. Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/29) and Harmeet Singh (2/26) were the leading wicket-takers for the US team.The American team chased 162, but ultimately lost by 132/8. Milind Kumar scored 37 off 34 balls, Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 37 runs off 31 balls with two sixes and a four, and Shubham Ranjane scored 37 off 22 balls, including three sixes. The Indian bowlers, led by Mohammad Siraj (3/29), Axar Patel (2/24) and Arshdeep Singh (2/18), ensured that the visitors could not come close to the target.With Suriya’s composure and team effort, India started their T20 World Cup title defense with a win.
