IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 pitch report: How will surface at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai play?
India will open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ahead of that, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side suffered a few blows but the team management won't be too concerned. USA, meanwhile, will look for an upset.
The defending champions India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against United States of America (USA) on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ahead of that, the team suffered two major blows as Harshit Rana was ruled out with a knee injury and Washington Sundar is yet to recover full fitness. On top of that, Jasprit Bumrah is doubtful for the opening game as he is currently suffering from a viral fever.
Mohammed Siraj has already been included in the squad, replacing Rana and he is expected to feature in the playing XI. Arshdeep Singh is likely to be the second pacer. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel will be part of the spin department. Batting, on the other hand, looks very much sorted with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in stellar form. Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube too can go berserk if required.
When it comes to USA, the team will miss the service of Aaron Jones, who was one of their most consistent players. The batter has been suspended for breaching ICC and CWI’s anti-corruption code. In his absence, the likes of captain Monank Patel and Andries Gous will be key for USA. On the bowling front, Saurabh Netravalkar and Ali Khan will be key, especially given their past experience of playing in India.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Pitch Report
The surface at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will heavily assist the batters. Bowling first will be ideal as dew is expected to play a huge role in the second innings. However, India won’t mind batting first, given their recent run of form. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side has managed to put the dew out of the equation. Anything above 220 runs could be a good total on the board. Pacers are likely to get some help from the surface early on.