The Indian cricket team progressed to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a seven-wicket win over co-host United States of America in their Group A match in New York on Wednesday.
Arshdeep Singh recorded career-best figures of 4/9 in T20Is to restrict the USA to 110/8 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets and Axar scalped one as Nitish Kumar scored 27 off 23 balls for the hosts.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav top-scored in the match with an unbeaten 50 off 49 balls. He brought up his 18th fifty in T20Is hitting two sixes and two fours, as India registered the highest successful chase at the venue. Shivam Dube also remained unbeaten on 31 as the duo saw off a tricky chase with 10 balls to spare.
Bowling first, Arshdeep got India to a perfect start with two wickets in the first over. The left-arm seamer also became the first Indian to pick up a wicket off the first ball of the match in the T20 World Cup, when he trapped Shayan Jahangir in front of the wicket.
Pandya dismissed stand-in USA skipper Aaron Jones in the eighth over as the home team moved to 42/3 at the halfway mark. Nitish and Corey Anderson entertained the home fans with some big hits but both were dismissed soon, thanks to some excellent catching by India.
Player of the Match Arshdeep added two more to his tally ending with four wickets as the USA set India a target of 111. The pacer's spell was also the best by an Indian at the T20 World Cup eclipsing Ravichandran Ashwin's 4/11 against Australia in the 2014 edition. Pandya picked up 2/14 off his four overs, which included a whopping 19 dot balls.
India lost openers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma early in the run chase with the score reading just 10 with the Mumbai-born Saurabh Netravalkar accounting for both scalps.
However, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar calmed the nerves with a 29-run partnership for the third wicket. But once Pant departed, runs came at a premium as India managed just 19 runs in the next four overs. Suryakumar and Shivam Dube started to open up and scored more freely to take India closer to the target.
India were awarded five penalty runs as the USA violated the one-minute break between overs for a third time in the innings.
The Men in Blue continue to be on top of Group A with six points from three matches. India are up against Canada in their final group match at Lauderhill on Saturday.
USA vs India T20 World Cup 2024 brief scores: USA 110/8 (Nitish Kumar 27, Steven Taylor 24, Arshdeep Singh 4/9, Hardik Pandya 2/14) lost to India 111/3 (Suryakumar Yadav 50*, Shivam Dube 31*, Saurabh Netravalkar 2/18, Ali Khan 1/21) by seven wickets.
