The Wankhede Stadium, a cauldron of Indian cricketing history, was transformed into a shimmering stage of light and sound on Saturday as the T20 World Cup 2026 was officially declared open. While the evening promised a blend of Bollywood glamour and high-octane music, the loudest roar was reserved for the man who led India to glory in 2024 — Rohit Sharma.
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Appearing in his new role as Tournament Ambassador, Rohit received a standing ovation and thunderous chants of “Mumbai Cha Raja”. Dressed with understated elegance, the former captain stood alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah to welcome the trophy. The gleaming silver prize made a dramatic entrance, carried in by a jetpack performer who descended from the night sky into the centre of the square.
Flanked by 20 young ambassadors, Rohit formally launched the tournament. For the Mumbai faithful, seeing their local hero lift the trophy once more — even if only for the cameras — was a poignant reminder of the ‘Hitman’s’ enduring legacy, as he watches this edition from the sidelines.
Rohit later met and greeted the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side, who began their title defence at the iconic venue. Yuzvendra Chahal, on broadcast duty, took a brief break to rush across and meet his former captain, who effortlessly stole the limelight on Saturday evening.
The ceremony itself was designed to mirror the frantic pace of T20 cricket. It began with a neo-classical flourish as sitar virtuoso Rishab Rikhiram Sharma and legendary percussionist Sivamani delivered a rhythmic medley that seamlessly bridged traditional India with the modern game.
The tempo then shifted gears with Punjabi rap icon Badshah taking centre stage, followed by a high-energy dance spectacle from Nora Fatehi. The field of play became a unified visual canvas, illuminated by state-of-the-art LED displays and pyrotechnics that painted the sky in the tournament’s signature purple and gold.
As the fireworks faded, attention turned to the pitch for India’s opening clash against the USA.
USA RATTLE INDIA
USA won the toss and opted to field, making early inroads by dismissing in-form openers Abhishek Sharma (0) and Ishan Kishan (20) inside the powerplay. The minnows were on fire in the opening six overs, with medium-pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk picking up three wickets in an over to leave India reeling at 46 for 4.
India had made two changes to their XI for the opening night, leaving out Sanju Samson. Mohammed Siraj, drafted into the squad as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana, was handed an immediate opportunity, coming in for Jasprit Bumrah, who was unavailable for selection due to illness.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan survived a major scare against the Netherlands in the tournament opener in Colombo, requiring a late-over blitz from Faheem Ashraf to chase down 148. Meanwhile, the West Indies powered to a dominant win over Scotland in Kolkata, riding on a rapid half-century from Shimron Hetmyer and a five-wicket haul — including a hat-trick — from Romario Shepherd in their Group C encounter.
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