IND vs USA: Shadley van Schalkwyk rips through India as Suryakumar fights back

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the USA turned into an early shock at Wankhede Stadium, where a fierce new-ball spell and a momentum-swinging powerplay over left the defending champions scrambling. USA chose to field first, struck repeatedly inside the first six overs, and forced India into a rebuild led almost entirely by captain Suryakumar Yadav.

As of 10:53 AM ET on Feb. 7, 2026, India were 118/7 in 16.4 overs, with the innings still in progress and the USA firmly in control.

Live snapshot: where the innings stands

Powerplay chaos: three wickets in one over

The tone was set immediately when Ali Khan removed Abhishek Sharma for a first-ball duck, with Sanjay Krishnamurthi taking the catch in the deep. India briefly steadied through Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, but the match flipped hard in the final over of the powerplay.

Shadley van Schalkwyk delivered the defining burst: he dismissed Kishan (20 off 16), Tilak (25 off 16), and Shivam Dube for a golden duck in the same over. India stumbled to 46/4 after 6 overs, a position that forced a cautious middle-overs approach rather than the usual home-soil surge.

Middle overs: USA keep squeezing, India keeps losing partners

With the pitch playing two-paced, the USA leaned into discipline and matchup pressure. India’s attempt to rebuild through Suryakumar and Rinku Singh was cut short when Mohammad Mohsin removed Rinku (14 off 6), and the squeeze tightened further when Harmeet Singh struck to dismiss Hardik Pandya (5 off 6).

Those wickets mattered because they repeatedly reset India’s chase for a competitive total: each time a stand started to form, another batter fell, leaving Suryakumar to manage both strike rotation and boundary-hunting at the death.

Suryakumar Yadav’s resistance

Suryakumar has been the anchor and the accelerator, absorbing dot-ball pressure and then punishing anything slightly loose. The clearest turning point in India’s recovery came when Axar Patel briefly found momentum alongside the captain, adding a brisk partnership that pushed India back toward respectability.

That stand ended when Harmeet removed Axar for 14 off 11, but the episode showed the only reliable route India have had: one partner taking calculated risks while Suryakumar holds the innings together.

USA’s lineup looks settled and confident

The USA XI has a clear shape: early pace and hard lengths, then control through slower-ball execution and tight spin/medium-pace lines. Captain Monank Patel has also had a visible role in keeping energy high and managing field placements as India tried to rebuild.

With Saurabh Netravalkar providing control at the start and the supporting cast maintaining pressure, the USA have avoided the one thing that often lets a heavyweight off the hook: extended loose overs that hand back momentum for free.

What to watch next

Two immediate questions will decide how chaseable the target is:

1. Can India push past 150? At this stage, every extra 10 runs looks valuable on a surface that has gripped and slowed.

2. How will the USA top order handle India’s new ball? With India missing Jasprit Bumrah due to illness and Mohammed Siraj in the XI, the early overs for the USA will test India’s ability to strike back quickly.

If India finish in the 140–160 range, the game becomes a pressure chase where a few early wickets can turn it into a scramble. If the total stays below that, the USA will back themselves to manage risk and pace the innings.

Sources consulted: International Cricket Council, ESPNcricinfo, The Indian Express, India Today