India playing XI for IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 match: Defending champions, India, have begun their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign at the Wankhede Stadium with a surprising lineup.
India remains the heavy favorite against USA, but two major selection talking points have dominated the buildup: absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and the benching of Sanju Samson.
Jasprit Bumrah Sidelined with Fever
In a last-minute blow to bowling attack, Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of IND vs USA fixture. Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed at the toss that the ace pacer is struggling with a viral fever.
With high-stakes matches against Pakistan and Namibia looming, the team management opted not to risk the 32-year-old in the opener.
Bumrah’s Replacement: Mohammed Siraj, who was drafted into the squad only 24 hours ago as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana, has been handed his first T20I appearance in nearly two years to lead the attack.
Sanju Samson Dropped for Ishan Kishan
Despite so much social media debate, the team management has stuck with the in-form Ishan Kishan as the primary wicketkeeper-opener. Sanju Samson struggled in the recent series against New Zealand, managing only 46 runs.
Kishan’s Rise: Conversely, Ishan Kishan enters the tournament in red-hot form, having smashed a century against New Zealand and a blistering 53 off 20 balls in the warm-up game against South Africa.
The “Missing 13” Crisis
India’s depth is already being tested on Day 1. With Washington Sundar still awaiting fitness clearance at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and Harshit Rana out for the tournament, India had only 13 fully fit players to choose from for today’s match.
India Playing XI vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026 opener: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammed Siraj.
Bench: Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar.
