India beats the USA by 7 wickets to confirm a spot in the Round of 8 in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Wednesday. In the encounter at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, India restricted the co-host to 110/8 in 20 overs. India comfortably chased down the target, scoring 111/3 in 18.2 overs.
Put into bat, USA started poorly as Shayan Jahangir (0) and Andries Gous (2) were dismissed in the first over by Arshdeep Singh. The Indian bowlers capitalized on the conditions, making scoring difficult for their counterparts. Despite struggling, Steven Taylor (24 off 30) and Nitish Kumar (27 off 23) hung on to give some respite before the lower-order helped Aaron Jones’ side cross the 100-figure mark.
Arshdeep Singh (4/9) had a fabulous outing for the Men in Blue, with Hardik Pandya (2/14) and Axar Patel (1/25) lending him perfect support.
India got a scary start with openers Virat Kohli (0 off 1) and Rohit Sharma (3 off 6) returning to the pavilion within three overs. Rishabh Pant (18 off 20) tried to steadied the innings before being dismissed by Ali Khan in the 8th over. Had the USA bowlers been able to continue putting pressure, the match could have gone in a different direction. But Suryakumar Yadav (50* off 49) and Shivam Dube (31* off 35) rose to the occasion and took India home without any further casualty.
Saurabh Netravalkar (2/18) and Ali Khan (1/21) took the three wickets that fell in the second innings.
Key Moments of the Match:
Double Strike for Arshdeep in the Opening Over
The left-arm fast bowler gave India a strong start by trapping Shayan Jahangir for a golden duck on the first ball and then removing Andries Gous on the last ball of the opening over. Arshdeep’s early wickets put immediate pressure on the Americans. 
Hardik Pandya Removes Former New Zealander
Corey Anderson (15 off 12) initially batted cautiously but failed to accelerate in the death overs. Attempting a big shot off Hardik Pandya, Anderson top-edged the ball into the safe hands of Pant behind the stumps. His wicket in the 17th over made a difference of 15-20 runs in the final score.
Saurabh Netravalkar’s Dream Delivery
The left-arm pacer, a consistent performer with the new ball for the Americans, had a dream moment in the second innings. He trapped Virat Kohli for a golden duck in the second ball. This was Kohli’s second duck in T20Is.
SKY’s Unconventional Knock
Suryakumar Yadav, known for his aggressive style, was unconventional in his approach. He quickly adapted to the tricky pitch, and rather than going for his trademark big shots, he concentrated on careful placement and running between the wickets. He reached his fifty with just 2 fours and 2 sixes.
This loss marks the first defeat of the USA in the T20 World Cup. They need a win against Ireland at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida, on June 14 to secure their spot in the Super Eight.
Conversely, India remains undefeated in the mega event and has already qualified for the Super Eight. They will face Canada in their last league match at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida, on June 15. The Parimatch odds for India in this fixture are 1.07x.
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