India will be without Jasprit Bumrah in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the USA at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium later tonight. The Indian pace spearhead has caught a fever, and the management is in no mood to rush him back into action, reports the Indian Express. Bumrah is likely to be replaced in the Playing XI by the returning Mohammed Siraj, who replaced the injured Harshit Rana last evening.
Bumrah made an appearance during India’s pre-match practice but did not train. The news isn’t encouraging, with Washington Sundar still awaiting NCA clearance. Siraj linked up with the Indian team last night and is set to play his first T20I in almost two years.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan is set to replace Sanju Samson as India’s opener alongside the marauding Abhishek Sharma. The left-handed batter made a triumphant return to India’s T20I set-up with scores of 76 and 103 against New Zealand. And if that wasn’t promising enough, Ishan built on them by plundering 53 odd just 20 balls with seven 7 in the T20 World Cup warm-up tie against South Africa.
This will also be the first India vs USA fixture since their match at the 2024 T20 World Cup. There, the USA had India in trouble before ice-cool Suryakumar Yadav guided the team home. The outcome of this game is a foregone conclusion, but as history has proven, T20 is a game of unpredictability, and no team is a guaranteed winner, regardless of whether the other team is India.
India, the reigning champions, is eyeing back-to-back titles. If they achieve it, they will not only become the first team to win consecutive T20 World Cups, but also the first to lift the silverware at home. Some 15 years ago, India became the first team to win the 50-over World Cup at home, when MS Dhoni’s 2011 troops created history. What are the chances of Surya emulating him?
