In the first match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, played on February 7, the Indian cricket team faced the United States. Captain Surya Kumar Yadav delivered an outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 84 runs off just 49 balls with the aid of 10 fours and 4 sixes. This match marked Yadav's debut as captain in the T20 World Cup. With this innings, he also became the fastest player to reach 1,000 runs in T20 internationals as a captain.

Yadav's remarkable innings put him ahead of several renowned cricketers like Babar Azam from Pakistan, Mahela Jayawardene from Sri Lanka, and Mohammad Ashraful from Bangladesh in terms of scoring in a T20 World Cup debut for captains. After his impressive start, he found himself only behind Chris Gayle of West Indies, who had scored 88 runs against Australia in a similar debut match way back in 2009.

This performance not only highlights Yadav's talent and leadership skills but also raises expectations for the Indian team's prospects in the tournament. His ability to achieve such milestones on debut emphasizes the growing competitiveness of T20 cricket on the international stage and sets a benchmark for future captains in this format.