Suryakumar Yadav Leads India Past USA Scare in T20 World Cup

Suryakumar Yadav crafted an unbeaten half-century as India secured a place in the Super 8s, despite encountering a scare in a narrow seven-wicket victory over T20 World Cup co-hosts USA. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh impressed with figures of 4-9, playing a pivotal role in restricting the United States to 110-8. Nitish Kumar top-scored for the US with 27 off 23 balls, but their total seemed manageable against India’s strong batting lineup. India’s chase began nervously with Virat Kohli out for a golden duck and Rohit Sharma also departing early, leaving them reeling at 10-2.

The match turned when Saurabh Netravalkar dropped a crucial catch off Suryakumar’s bat on 22. From there, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube (31 not out) steadied the innings, finding boundaries regularly. The United States will qualify for the Super 8s if they avoid defeat against Ireland in their final Group A match, or if weather intervenes. India will face Canada next in their final group fixture. Kohli, in contrast, struggled with scores of four, one and zero in his recent innings, following a stellar IPL season. His form remains a concern for India as they look ahead to the Super 8s.

The USA’s bowling attack worked hard to keep India in check, but ultimately their total proved insufficient. They were left to rue missed opportunities, including a dropped catch that proved pivotal in the outcome. India’s captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the challenge posed by the USA, praising their progress while USA captain Aaron Jones felt his team fell short by 10-15 runs on a tricky pitch and expressed determination to bounce back against Ireland.