Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh believes that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side didn't bat with their full potential in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener clash against the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Notably, India's top batting order collapsed after the destructive opener Abhishek Sharma got out on a golden duck.
After being asked to bat, India got off to a poor start. Star opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck, and Ishan Kishan fell cheaply soon after. By the end of the Powerplay, India were 46 for four, and the team slumped to 77 for six, marking the lowest tally for which India had lost so many wickets at home in nearly nine years.
Sadagoppan Ramesh on India's batting collapse
The innings was rescued by captain Suryakumar Yadav, who played a composed 84-run knock to guide India to 161. Ramesh alleged that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side's top-order mistakes were a result of overconfidence.
“India did not bat to their potential. The bowlers had to fix the mistakes of the batters. It was purely overconfidence that led to India’s poor start. Even great players can’t expect the opponent to just give in, you have to put in effort,” Ramesh said on his YouTube channel.
Sadagoppan Ramesh's advice to Team India
The former India opener further advised Suryakumar Yadav's brigade to not underestimate any team in the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Despite having incredible talent, India need to give the right effort without overdoing it. If they slip in this World Cup, it will likely be because they underestimated the opposition. It’s good they got a wake-up call in the first game, and we already saw them respond well with the ball.”
Sadagoppan Ramesh on Suryakumar Yadav's performance
Ramesh also highlighted how crucial Suryakumar’s innings was. “India have dominated many sides recently, but today the tables turned. Without Suryakumar’s calm and attacking knock, India might have lost. His slow start and late acceleration pushed the total to 160. If a key catch had gone the other way, 160 would have been out of reach.”
India's upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 clash
Suryakumar Yadav-led side will face Namibia in their second group stage clash which is scheduled to take place on February 12 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.