USA send T20 World Cup warning with strong show against India A in warm-up fixture

USA delivered a strong performance against India A in the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match. Tilak Varma's fitness return and Ravi Bishnoi's performance were the major positives for India in the fixture.

USA sent a strong warning to all the participating teams of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a strong performance against India A during their first warm up fixture of the tournament. Asked to chase a massive target of 239, USA posted a strong reply, scoring 200 in 19.4 overs courtesy of handy knocks from Andries Ghous (44 off 31) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (41 off 18).

With the ball, Shubham Ranjane emerged as the pick of the bowlers, scalping 1/12 in two overs, while Saurabh Netravalkar had an inexpensive performance of 0/33 in 4 overs in the context of the game. USA’s strong performance has sent a stern warning to the remaining teams as they earlier stunned Pakistan in the previous edition of the tournament, beating them in the super over and qualifying for the super 8 stages.

Meanwhile, the Indian team management can breathe a sigh of relief after Tilak Varma ticked all the right boxes on his return to competitive cricket following lower abdominal surgery, as the India A registered a comfortable 38-run victory.

Batting first, the India A batters followed the now-familiar high-intensity, attack-at-all-costs template adopted by the senior team. Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper Narayan Jagadeesan led the charge with a scintillating 104 off 55 deliveries, an innings studded with 11 fours and five towering sixes that set the tone for a formidable total.

In the second innings, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who remains a strong contender to replace Washington Sundar should the latter be officially ruled out, further strengthened his case with a three-wicket haul, delivering a timely reminder of his value in the middle overs.

However, for the national selection committee, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, the primary focus was on assessing Tilak Varma’s match fitness after he completed a three-week ‘Return to Play’ protocol at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.