Surya rescues India from USA , Pakistan, West Indies struggle for wins as T20IWC starts

To counter India’s firepower, one needs equal firepower — something the USA simply do not possess. They are still newcomers to international cricket. Yet, the match turned out to be far from as easy as it was expected to be.

Asked to bat first after losing the toss, India’s powerful batting line-up collapsed helplessly in front of an unlikely threat — medium-pacer Saurabh (Shadley) van Schalkwyk. The top order, packed with big names, failed collectively. However, an extraordinary innings from captain Suryakumar Yadav rescued India and helped them post a target of 162. In reply, the USA were restricted to 132 for 8, giving India a 29-run victory in their opening match of the T20 World Cup.

Luck did not favour Suryakumar at the toss, as USA captain Monank Patel chose to bowl first. Fans were expecting fireworks from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, but instead witnessed a shocking collapse. Abhishek departed for a golden duck, caught by Sanjay off Ali Khan while attempting an ambitious cover drive. Ishan, who looked aggressive, fell for 20 off 16 balls, while Tilak managed 25. Shivam Dube was dismissed for a first-ball duck. India ended up recording their third-lowest powerplay score since the last World Cup — just 46 for 4.

The collapse continued as Rinku Singh (6), Hardik Pandya (5), and Axar Patel (14) all failed to make an impact. Wickets kept tumbling at one end, but at the other stood Suryakumar Yadav, showing remarkable composure. He built a small partnership with Axar and later tried to steady the innings with Arshdeep Singh. Eventually, the Indian captain produced a magnificent knock of 84 off 49 balls, carrying his team to a respectable total of 161 for 9.

Chasing the target, the USA never really looked comfortable against the Indian bowlers. Mohammed Siraj struck in the second over, dismissing Andre Gous for 6. In the very next over, Arshdeep Singh trapped Monank Patel lbw for a duck. Siraj then removed Saitza for just 2, leaving the Americans reeling at 13 for 3.

Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi tried to revive the chase with a 48-run partnership. However, Milind’s bizarre dismissal — stepping out of his crease and getting stumped by Ishan Kishan — shifted momentum back in India’s favour. Sanjay, after scoring a fighting 37, fell attempting a big shot. With Axar and Mohsin also departing cheaply, the USA’s innings eventually ended at 132.

Siraj finished with three wickets, including one on the final ball. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each, while Varun Chakravarthy claimed one. India began their T20 World Cup journey with a win, but the poor batting performance against a relatively inexperienced side will certainly worry the team management ahead of tougher challenges.

Pakistan rattled but scrapes past Netherlands 

Pakistan’s habit of making simple matches unnecessarily difficult remains unchanged. They did win their World Cup opener against the Netherlands, but not without sending millions of fans into a state of anxiety. While chasing a modest target, Pakistan stumbled repeatedly and eventually scraped home with just three wickets in hand, chasing down 148. Had the Dutch not lost their nerve at the end, an upset was very much on the cards. This also raises an uncomfortable question: if Pakistan struggled so much against the Netherlands, what might have happened against a stronger side like India? Perhaps that is why Pakistani fans found some relief in the match boycott issue.

At Colombo, Sri Lanka, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Netherlands began with fearless intent. Although Max O’Dowd failed to score heavily, Michael Levitt provided a whirlwind start. Bas de Leede and Scott Edwards carried forward the momentum, treating bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz with surprising ease. However, inexperience eventually cost the Dutch. They failed to convert their strong start into a big total and fell victim to Pakistan’s spin attack. Abrar Ahmed (2 for 23) and Saim Ayub (2 for 7) combined to restrict the Netherlands to 147. Pakistan also impressed in the field, especially with stunning boundary catches by Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, which will surely be remembered among the best of this World Cup.

On paper, the target was not difficult. The pitch offered no demons, and the opposition was the Netherlands. Yet the Dutch bowlers proved that assumptions can be dangerous. Leading the charge was Indian-origin spinner Aryan Dutt. Pakistan started well, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring a fluent 47 off 31 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Saim Ayub chipped in with 24. Everything seemed under control until Dutt dismissed Saim — and then removed Salman as well. Suddenly, panic set in. Babar Azam fell after playing a typically cautious innings, and soon Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz followed him back to the pavilion.

With Logan van Beek and Paul van Meekeren applying relentless pressure, Pakistan found themselves on the brink of an embarrassing defeat within hours of the tournament’s start. What eventually saved them were three crucial factors. First, Faheem Ashraf’s explosive cameo — 29 runs off just 11 balls — turned the match around. Second, Van Beek conceded 19 runs in the 19th over, which shifted momentum decisively. And finally, Max O’Dowd dropped a simple catch of Faheem in that over, a moment that proved fatal for Dutch hopes. Faheem finished the job early in the next over, sealing a three-wicket win for Pakistan.

They won, yes — but not without exposing several worrying flaws that raise serious questions about their prospects in tougher matches ahead.

West Indies overcome stiff Scottish challenge to start with a crucial win

There was hope. The start was promising too. At one stage, it seemed that Scotland — who entered the World Cup as a late replacement for Bangladesh — might even push West Indies to the brink of defeat. But all calculations were torn apart by one man: Romario Shepherd. The Caribbean all-rounder single-handedly crushed Scotland’s hopes, picking up four wickets in a single over, including a stunning hat-trick, and turning a potentially close contest into a one-sided affair. In the end, West Indies secured a 35-run victory.

Winning the toss at Eden Gardens, Scotland chose to field first. On a sporting surface, the Caribbean batters posted a competitive total of 182 for 5. Shimron Hetmyer was the standout, smashing 64 off just 36 balls. He was well supported at the death by Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 26 off 13 balls, while Rovman Powell chipped in with a quick 24 off 14 deliveries.

Chasing 183 on a pitch that offered good value for runs was far from impossible. However, Scotland’s innings got off to a poor start as they lost three wickets for just 37 runs within six overs. From there, captain Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce staged a strong recovery, stitching together a crucial 78-run partnership that brought Scotland back into the contest. Their stand raised genuine hopes of an upset.

But the match turned the moment Berrington was dismissed. What followed was complete devastation. In the 15th over, Romario Shepherd produced a magical spell, claiming four wickets in the over, including a sensational hat-trick. Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, and Oliver Davidson fell in succession, while Safyaan Sharif was also dismissed in the same over. Shepherd finished with five wickets in the innings, and with that spell, Scotland’s dreams were completely shattered.

Scotland were eventually bowled out for 147, handing West Indies a comfortable 35-run win.

In truth, Scotland were not even supposed to feature in this World Cup and earned their spot only at the last moment. Given that context, their performance in the opening match was far from insignificant. Without Shepherd’s extraordinary hat-trick, the story of this match might have been very different.