India, Feb. 8 -- India head coach Gautam Gambhir lavished praise on captain Suryakumar Yadav after his unbeaten 84 powered the defending champions to a hard-fought win over the USA in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. India registered a 29-run victory to begin their title defence on a positive note, with Suryakumar producing a 49-ball knock under pressure, the only half-century of the match.

In a video shared by BCCI.tv on Sunday, Gambhir hailed Suryakumar's innings in the dressing room, calling it a "masterclass".

"It was a good result to start with, and Surya - that was a masterclass, outstanding. It was one of the best T20I innings played under pressure," Gambhir said.

On a tacky Wankhede surface, ...