India catapulted themselves into the role of the ‘team to beat’ at the 2026 T20 World Cup after experts unanimously backed Suryakumar Yadav’s men to become the first side in history to successfully defend the title, following their blitzkrieg display against New Zealand in the pre-tournament warm-up series. However, the star-studded line-up was brought back to reality when an unfancied USA attack reduced India to 77 for six inside 13 overs in their tournament opener last Sunday.
For a side widely tipped to breach the unprecedented 300-run mark, the struggle on a tacky Wankhede surface against USA’s disciplined and relentless bowling came as a major surprise.
Had it not been for captain Suryakumar’s outside-the-box decision to dial down the aggression and adopt a more orthodox approach, India could have found themselves in serious trouble against the tier-two opposition.
Despite escaping with a win in Mumbai, a report in The Times of India revealed that the Indian camp was left miffed by the unexpected nature of the Wankhede pitch and had “made their displeasure known to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).”
This was not the first time India’s ultra-aggressive T20I approach has been tested. The batting unit faced stiff challenges during the Asia Cup in the UAE in September and later in Australia in October, where the bowlers were forced to step up and bail the team out. However, in the month leading up to the World Cup, India reverted fully to their attacking template, dropping Shubman Gill and doubling down on intent.
The shift was evident during the New Zealand series, which India won 4–1. The only stumble came in Visakhapatnam, where the ball gripped the surface as India batted second. In the remaining matches, the pitches were rock-hard, with dew playing a significant role in the latter stages of the games.
The TOI report added that India have now made it clear they prefer high-scoring tracks. The hosts next face Namibia in Delhi on February 12, before travelling to Colombo for the marquee clash against Pakistan, followed by a fixture against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad.
