The energy at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is nothing short of electric as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is in its high-octane Group A proceedings. In the third match of the tournament, the defending champions, India, face off against a resilient United States of America (USA) team on Sunday, February 07. While the atmosphere is festive, a wave of concern swept through the Indian camp just moments before the toss when it was revealed that India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, was missing from the team sheet.
The match marks a significant moment for the Men in Blue as they begin their title defense on home soil. However, the absence of the world’s premier fast bowler has forced a late tactical shift for captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Suryakumar Yadav provides a crucial update on Jasprit Bumrah
At the toss, which saw the USA opt to bowl first, Suryakumar addressed the elephant in the room. Despite the breezy and batting-friendly conditions at the Wankhede, the skipper confirmed that India would be without their X-factor bowler.
“We were looking to bat first. It looks good here. I played a lot of cricket here. There’s a wind around as well, so I don’t think there’ll be a lot of dew later on. Of course there’ll be a little bit of pressure. We can’t run away from that fact, but then new tournament, we want to play the same way how we’ve been playing in the last one or two years and continue the same thing. It’s live before the game starts and I’m sure when we start batting, it will be more wilder. We have Washington Sundar missing out, Sanju Samson missing out. Unfortunately Jasprit Bumrah is not well so Mohammed Siraj is playing,” Suryakumar Yadav stated at the toss.
Reports suggest that Bumrah has been sidelined due to a viral fever. The BCCI medical team has decided to take a cautious approach, resting him to ensure he recovers fully for the more grueling stages of the tournament. In his stead, Mohammed Siraj, who was recently drafted into the squad as an injury replacement for Harshit Rana, takes the ball, bringing his fiery pace back to the T20I arena.
IND vs USA: Playing XI of both teams
The absence of Bumrah isn’t the only change for India. The management has opted for the explosive opening duo of Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma, meaning Sanju Samson misses out on the starting eleven. Meanwhile, the USA, led by Monank Patel, enters the fray with a lineup featuring several players of Indian origin, adding a unique emotional layer to this clash.
India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy.
United States of America: Andries Gous (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.
Also WATCH: Brandon McMullen plucks a screamer to remove dangerous Shimron Hetmyer | WI vs SCO, T20 World Cup 2026
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.
