&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "T20 World Cup 2026: Ishan Kishan to open for India? Suryakumar Yadav all but confirms ahead of USA opener")
Team India is all set to open its T20 World Cup campaign on Saturday (Feb 7) as they take on the USA at the hill storic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with the eyes of the cricketing fraternity on the Men in Blue. India, defending champions, will be one of the favourites to win the title and will start their campaign against the USA, who reached the Super 8 stage in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Speaking on the eve of the contest, India captain Suryakumar Yadav opened up on the opener’s position with Sanju Samson struggling and Ishan Kishan in fine form.
Ishan to open for India?
“Definitely, look at the way he has played in the last few games. We noticed it after getting up from our seats because it was international cricket. But if you look at it closely, he was playing the same way in domestic cricket as well. Even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was batting the same way and continued with that approach. He played at No. 3 in the T20I series.
“In the warm-up match, he opened. I hope he continues playing that way, whichever position he bats at. I don’t think he will bat below No. 3. But whatever opportunity he gets, I hope he bats the same way,” said Suryakumar in the pre-match press conference.
Ishan has been in superb form for India recently, having scored runs in plenty, including a hundred against New Zealand. Ishan’s ton in 42-balls has set the pace for the Indian team as the T20 World Cup will start on Saturday in Mumbai. His superb innings consisted of 6 fours and 10 sixes while scoring runs in tandem. In fact, Ishan scored 84 runs in boundaries while striking at more than 200.
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Ishan’s ton came after he had already scored 76 in Raipur, showcasing his intentions with the bat. On the other hand, Samson has been in poor form and is likely to play second fiddle in the side, with Ishan also being the wicketkeeper option.
The match between India vs USA T20 World Cup match will start at 7:00 p.m. IST on Saturday, with the toss taking place at 6:30 p.m.
