It was a performance wrapped in authority and flair, one that re-instated the belief that they can remain T20 World Cup champions.
Gautam Gambhir praised Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 84 as a 'masterclass' after India beat the USA by 29 runs in their opening T20 World Cup 2026 match at Wankhede.
A seemingly unstoppable force in the shortest format, the current India squad has an aura of invincibility around it unlike the one that ended the cricketing powerhouse's long wait for an ICC title in Barbados 19 months ago.
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
ICC Men's T20I Rankings: Tilak Varma rises to third spot, Varun Chakravarthy continues supremacy
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav dazzled with a vital half-century as defending champions India registered a scratchy 29-run win against the United States of America despite a stunning top-order collapse.
India's young fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy should be persisted with and the cricket fraternity must not rush to pass judgement, former players Aakash Chopra, Robin Uthappa, and Manoj Tiwary said on Thursday.
Placed in Group B, India A will kick off their campaign against Pakistan on October 19 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.
Vijay Hazare: Baroda lose despite Hardik heroics
While wickets fell in a steady procession at the other end, captain Suryakumar Yadav took it upon himself to anchor and attack and almost single-handedly hauled his side to a competitive total on a sluggish pitch.
'We are fully focused on this series. Every series is important. Individually for these players, there's a lot at stake.'
S Badrinath reacts after Pakistan boycott India clash at T20 World Cup, joking it may be fear of India's explosive batting line-up.
Washington ruled out of T20I series against NZ; Bishnoi, Iyer added to squad
India will be hoping that Abhishek Sharma returns to his destructive ways and the other batters up their game against spin when the side takes the field for its final T20 World Cup league fixture against the Netherlands.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate highlights the team's challenges against finger spin and the predictability of their left-handed top order as they prepare for the T20 World Cup Super 8s.
Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand after suffering a rib injury in the series opener in Vadodara.
With Ishan Kishan breathing down Sanju Samson's neck, the latter will have to pull up his socks and prove his place in the squad.
Tilak Varma, who was handed his maiden T20I call-up, posted a series of photos with family and friends before departure, and wrote, 'Blessings from my family and wishes from my friends. Ready for life's next chapter.'
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
India cricketers, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the first T2OI of the five-match series against South Africa, set to be played on the same day at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.
The Namibia match could be a God-sent opportunity for an out-of-form Sanju Samson to get into run-scoring mode after a string of failures that saw him lose his place to Ishan Kishan, who is going through a purple patch.
Opener Sanju Samson once again failed to get back among the runs, as he was dismissed for 24 from 15 balls in the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday climbed five places to seventh in the ICC men's T20I rankings
India and Pakistan clash in a highly anticipated T20 World Cup match. India needs middle-order stability and a fit Abhishek Sharma, while Pakistan's spin attack poses a threat. The weather forecast predicts a high chance of rain.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Tilak Varma has hit just two fifties in 16 T20 Internationals.
'You won't find anyone else like Hardik Pandya.'
India's T20 mindset similar for all competitions; will give Washington time to recover: Suryakumar
Tilak Varma became the first batter ever to notch three successive hundreds in T20s, while Shreyas Iyer underlined his credentials with a smooth century
Tilak Varma enjoys the longer formats and has been seeking inputs from Virat Kohli on fitness and running between the wickets as he looks to make the most of the opportunities coming his way.
India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav said a short break after the South Africa series last year and a conscious change in his batting approach helped him rediscover his touch.
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
A mouth-watering India-South Africa warm-up at the D Y Patil stadium did exactly that, igniting anticipation and hopes among fans.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who returned to international cricket for the three-match ODI series against Australia recently, were not considered for India A's three-match one-day series against the touring South Africa A side, beginning in Rajkot on November 13.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
India batter Tilak Varma on Saturday underlined the team management's push for a flexible batting order, saying most players are ready to bat anywhere depending on match situations.
Ishan Kishan will play ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the series against New Zealand as he is a part of India's T20 World Cup squad and a like-for-like replacement for an injured Tilak Varma being a left-hander, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Tuesday.
India's players celebrated with empty hands, making cricket history for all the wrong reasons.
'Jitesh Sharma has shown he is quite a capable player. He can bat lower down the order and look to hit the big shots even with a slightly older ball.'
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
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