Fans at the Wankhede stadium started to chant ‘Rohit, Rohit…’ as soon as the former India skipper stepped onto the field before the beginning of the India vs USA (IND vs USA) match for the third game of the T20 World Cup 2026. Sharma went into the ground alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah.
India and the USA cricket team lock their horns for the third match of the opening day of the elite tournament. Team India is the hot favorite to win the tournament. If they are able to do so, the Men in Blue will be the first ever in the history of the T20 World Cup to defend their title.
Fans chanting ‘Rohit, Rohit…’ during IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 match
Rohit Sharma and Jay Shah were spotted together at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the IND vs USA match. The former India skipper walked into the field with the trophy held tightly in his arms. As he had already retired from the T20 Internationals, the opener could only see the match as a spectator.
Rohit Sharma chant at Wankhede stadium for Mumbai Cha Raja. pic.twitter.com/3IiWSTuGru
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) February 7, 2026
Though, it was a treat for the fans at the venue to see the star cricketer, under whose leadership Team India managed to lift the T20 World Cup title back in 2024. This year, the team will be in charge of defending their silverware. Ahead of the tournament, Rohit warned the team about the dew factor, as across the nation, there will be dew in the evening matches.
India went to bat first
India went into the match with bat first, as the USA decided to bowl first after winning the toss. The hosts will be the bowling side in the second innings, when the dew factor can be the most. Because of the dew factor, bowlers often find it difficult to grip the ball properly. Mostly, the situation gets more challenging for the spinners, and India does have multiple spinners in their playing combination for the opening match.
As it was expected, Sanju Samson is not in the playing XI for today’s match. Ishan Kishan got the chance to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma. Notably, the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is also not included in the eleven for the IND vs USA contest.
Golden duck for Abhishek Sharma in IND vs USA match
Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel are in the team as the full regular bowlers. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube will be assisting them with their pace bowling abilities. Kuldeep Singh is also absent.
Bowling first, the USA quickly got the wicket of the dangerous batter Abhishek Sharma. Ali Khan, with this notable pace, helped the team to get rid of Sharma in the early part of the first innings. The left-handed opener had to depart for a golden duck in the second over of the IND vs USA game.
India vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 Playing XIs:
India (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Varun Chakaravarthy.
United States of America (Playing XI): Andries Gous (w), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.
