Suryakumar Yadav during the toss (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: The bond between Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma has long been cherished by Indian cricket fans and a heartwarming moment before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener against USA captured it perfectly. When Suryakumar came out for the toss at the Wankhede Stadium, he spotted Rohit passing by, stepped back briefly and ran to hug his former captain. The gesture drew loud cheers from the crowd and the video quickly went viral on social media.Moments later, Suryakumar led from the front in much tougher circumstances, producing a stunning unbeaten 84 off 49 balls to save India from a dramatic collapse and guide them to a defendable 161 for 9.
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India were reeling at 77 for 6 in the 13th over after American pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk tore through the top and middle order with figures of 4 for 25, dismissing Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube in decisive fashion.Suryakumar attacked with authority, finding boundaries at will and ensuring India had plenty to bathe in. The bowlers then produced a disciplined performance to secure a 29-run victory and start the campaign on a winning note.Mohammad Siraj, recalled to the XI after Jasprit Bumrah fell ill, rose to the occasion with a lion-hearted spell of 3 for 29. Arshdeep Singh (2/18) and Axar Patel (2/24) provided excellent support as USA were restricted to 132 for 9 in their chase.Siraj struck early to remove openers Andries Gouse and Saiteja Mukkamalla, while Arshdeep sent back skipper Monanko Patel for a duck as the USA slumped to 13 for 3. Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Milind Kumar added some resistance but regular breakthroughs kept India in check. Despite some spirited hitting from Krishnamurthi, Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane, the USA fell behind to hand India their second World Cup victory over them.
