India will begin their
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 title defence against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, with the world champions aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy. The match will start at 7 pm IST, with the toss expected around 6.30 pm IST.
Despite the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the 2024 triumph, India enter the tournament as the top-ranked side and appear well-equipped to continue their dominance in the shortest format. India cricket team news
India look ready to defend the crown
India’s build-up to the World Cup has strengthened their credentials as a team to beat. The side has registered nine series wins since lifting the title in 2024, including a dominant run in the Asia Cup last year. The return to form of captain Suryakumar Yadav has further boosted confidence after his struggles with the bat in 2025.
The opening combination also looks settled, with Ishan Kishan returning in explosive form and set to partner Abhishek Sharma, who enters the tournament with a strike rate of over 194, best by a top-order batter in T20 Internationals.
Middle order depth gives India an edge
India’s batting depth remains among the strongest in the competition. The presence of Tilak Varma adds stability in the middle order, while finishers such as Rinku Singh provide firepower at the back end.
The all-round options of Hardik Pandya, vice-captain Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube make the line-up difficult to contain, giving India multiple combinations depending on match conditions.
Bumrah-led pace attack adds teeth
India’s bowling continues to be built around Jasprit Bumrah, who has been managed carefully with the World Cup in mind. He will share the new-ball duties with Arshdeep Singh, while Harshit Rana offers additional pace and can cross the 140 kmph mark when in rhythm. Rana has showed that he can also be handy with the bat lower down the order.
With a strong pace group and batting depth extending deep, India appear well-balanced heading into their opener.
Spin options strong but dew remains a factor
India also have two of the most effective spinners in the format — Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. However, the dew factor at Wankhede could challenge the spinners, an issue that former captain MS Dhoni has flagged as a potential concern for the co-hosts.
USA cricket team news USA enter as underdogs with confidence
While India will start as favourites, the USA will take the field with the confidence of having produced surprises in recent ICC events. The side had beaten Pakistan and reached the Super Eight stage in the previous World Cup, showing they can compete with higher-ranked teams.
The USA have also had a strong recent run, winning eight of their nine matches last year. They arrive after a three-week camp in Sri Lanka, which has helped them prepare despite limited exposure to top-tier opponents outside global tournaments.
Familiar faces could help USA at Wankhede
The USA squad features players with strong links to Mumbai cricket, including Saurabh Netravalkar, Harmeet Singh, and Shubham Ranjane, who are expected to use their knowledge of Wankhede conditions to their advantage.
Captain Monank Patel has led from the front with the bat, supported by Saiteja Mukkamalla and Milind Kumar, while the bowling unit will rely heavily on the experience of Netravalkar, Harmeet and Ranjane.
In their second warm-up match, USA also pushed New Zealand close in a high-scoring contest, losing by just seven runs, which could further strengthen their belief.
Match conditions could offer USA a chance
With short boundaries and a flat surface expected at Wankhede, USA will see an opportunity to challenge India, provided their batters handle India’s pace attack effectively. The conditions could make it a high-scoring contest, increasing the chances of an upset if USA manage early momentum.
Check ICC T20 World Cup 2026 full schedule and live match timings here India vs USA playing 11 prediction
India Playing 11 (probable): Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy.
USA Playing 11 (probable): Monank Patel (c), Andries Gous (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir, Milind Kumar, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Ali Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar.
India vs USA toss time and match time
Toss: 6.30 pm IST (expected)
Match start: 7 pm IST
India vs USA: Squad of both teams India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
USA: Monank Patel (c), Andries Gous (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir, Harmeet Singh, Shehan Jayasuriya, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Milind Kumar, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar. Check ICC T20 World Cup 2026 points table here
| ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Broadcast and streaming partners |
| Territory/Region | TV Broadcast Partner(s) | Digital/Streaming Platform(s) | Key Coverage Features |
| India | Star Sports | JioHotstar | Five languages on TV + digital; extra regional feeds on JioHotstar; vertical live feed; 360 view and multi-cam; Marathi and Indian Sign Language for India matches, semis and final |
| Sri Lanka (co-host) | Dialog TV, TV Supreme (FTA), PEO TV | ThePapare.com, Dialog Play app | Sinhala feed available on TV and digital |
| Bangladesh | T Sports, Nagorik TV | Rabbithole | Covered via Total Sports Management |
| Nepal | Kantipur TV | ICC.tv (Nepali commentary feed for select territories) | Selected matches locally produced with Nepali commentary |
| Bhutan | Star Sports (via distribution partners) | Not specified | Star Sports available via partners |
| Maldives | Star Sports (via distribution partners) | Not specified | Star Sports available via partners |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event | NOW | Hindi commentary for semi-finals and final |
| Italy | Sky Italia | Sky Italia platforms | All Italy matches + semis and final |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport digital platforms | Full coverage across platforms |
| Australia | Not specified (Prime Video only mentioned) | Prime Video | Hindi commentary for India matches, semis and final |
| New Zealand | SKY Sport | Not specified | Hindi commentary for India matches, semis and final |
| Pakistan | PTV, PTV Home | Myco, Tamasha, ARY Zapp, Tapmad | Urdu commentary feed for Pakistan matches |
| United States & Canada | Willow TV | Willow DTC, CricBuzz DTC, Willow YouTube | All 55 matches in English/Hindi; USA matches free in US & Canada; USA matches also free on YouTube |
| UAE & MENA | CricLife Max | StarzPlay | Also screened via cinema partnerships across Middle East |
| Caribbean Islands | ESPN | Not specified | All matches live |
| Latin America | Not specified | Disney+ | Streaming coverage |
| Brazil | ESPN (select matches) | Not specified | Portuguese commentary on select matches |
| Pacific Islands | PNG Digicel | Not specified | Linear coverage |
| Singapore | Hub Sports 4 | Not specified | Linear coverage |
| Afghanistan | Lemar TV | Not specified | Commentary in Pashto and Dari |
| Netherlands | Not specified | NOS | Streams all Netherlands matches live |
| Malaysia | CricBuzz channel (via Astro Cricket) | Not specified | Coverage through CricBuzz partnerships |
| Hong Kong | CricBuzz channel (via PCCW) | Not specified | Coverage through CricBuzz partnerships |
| In-flight/At sea | Sport 24 | Sport 24 | Live coverage while travelling |
| All remaining territories | Not specified | ICC.tv | Live and free streaming; multi-language commentary incl Japanese and Bahasa; select matches on ICC YouTube |
 "T20 WC 2026: India vs USA playing 11, preview, toss time, live streaming")
