Fans at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium witnessed a vibrant and energetic opening ceremony for the T20 World Cup on Friday night. Although the full ceremony was not broadcast live, viewers were given brief glimpses of the celebrations by broadcasters.
T20 World Cup opening ceremony ft. Badshah, Nora Fatehi pic.twitter.com/6swTXdi5KS
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ICC Chairman Jay Shah and T20 World Cup ambassador Rohit Sharma at the opening ceremony. pic.twitter.com/UGwNTRlnXq
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India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma and ICC Chairman Jay Shah jointly unveiled the T20 World Cup trophy in front of a packed stadium. The event featured dazzling performances by Bollywood star Nora Fatehi, rapper Badshah, percussionist Sivamani, and singer Rishab Verma, who kept the crowd entertained with their high-energy acts. Several videos from the ceremony quickly went viral on social media, capturing the festive atmosphere at Wankhede.
nora fatehi performance at the Wankhade stadium for T20 World Cup opening ceremony. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DcCNUH5ins
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Nora Fatehi set the stage on fire with her performance at the T20 World Cup opening ceremony.🔥🥵 pic.twitter.com/JqLggIocli
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 7, 2026
However, the excitement was followed by a dramatic start for India in their opening T20 World Cup match against the USA on Saturday. The Indian top order collapsed early, with the hosts struggling at 63 for 4 after 10 overs.
Moment hai bhai, moment hai! 💙
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Mumbaicha Raja meeting #TeamIndia’s skipper at the iconic Wankhede, it couldn’t get any better 😍
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #INDvUSA | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/GSioxLqv9R pic.twitter.com/XEOVXYWVtY
USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk delivered a devastating spell, picking up three wickets for just 13 runs in three overs. The 37-year-old struck three times in the sixth over, dismissing Ishan Kishan for 20, Tilak Varma for 25, and Shivam Dube for a duck. This reduced India to 46 for 4, putting them under severe pressure.
Earlier, Pakistan-born pacer Ali Khan had provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a first-ball duck, further denting India’s start.
At the halfway stage of the Indian innings, captain Suryakumar Yadav was unbeaten on 15, while Rinku Singh was on 3, attempting to stabilize the innings after the early collapse.
Before the match, USA captain Monank Patel won the toss and opted to bowl first. India also made a notable change to their playing XI, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missing out due to illness. Mohammed Siraj replaced him in the lineup.