India take on the US in their first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, February 7. The defending champions will have their sights set on claiming the trophy once again. Yet they know well that no team has achieved this on their home soil before. India, however, sport a balanced unit. They seem to have ticked all the boxes, be it in batting, bowling or fielding. Their recent decimation of New Zealand 4-1, as well as South Africa in a warm-up encounter, proves these points.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have a side in which everyone is a big hitter. Yes, they do not have any players in their squad who play anchor roles, and this is primarily due to the mercurial nature of this game. This will help India since they can rely on the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top of the order. They also plan to use Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as finishers. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy will await the opportunity to wreak havoc on the American batting unit.
The USA are fairly new to international cricket, but they accounted well for themselves in the 2024 T20 World Cup. They have quite a few naturalised players who had earlier plied their trade in other nations, and this gives them an experienced look. Their bowling department looks sharp, with the likes of Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh and Noshtush Kenjige expected to deliver the goods. In the batting department, skipper Monank Patel, alongside Andries Gous, will have to bear most of the responsibility.
Predicted Teams
IND: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
USA: Andries Gous, Monank Patel (c and wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Jasdeep Singh, Ali Khan, Noshtush Kenjige.
Key Players
Shivam Dube (IND): Shivam Dube is one of the most threatening sloggers in world cricket currently. He has the ability to tonk big sixes to bowlers without even moving his feet towards the length. Most importantly, Dube is known for hitting huge sixes to spinners by taking them on right from the moment they come on. While he gained his fame as a spin-hitter, Dube has become strong against seamers too, preferring to use his tall frame to hook and pull short deliveries aimed at his ribs.
Andries Gous (USA): Opener Andries Gous is a fine batter who can take on any bowler inside the powerplay. Gous is known for his impeccable timing and placement and can worry opposition bowlers with his footwork. Most importantly, he plays with a blank mind and reacts solely to the merit of the ball. Gous can be handy for the Americans if he carries his bat past the 10th over, since he can hand over momentum to those coming after him in the middle order.
Match Prediction
India are the favourites. The USA are no more than minnows, and should not trouble the defending champions by any means. The home team perhaps have the best squad in the tournament when it comes to balance, whereas the American side does not have any experienced players. Yes, they showed their mettle to some extent in the 2024 edition of this tournament. Yet, they won’t be able to live up to the challenges sent their way by the Indians since the skill levels between the sides are vastly different.
