The headlines from the Wankhede Stadium were all about Suryakumar Yadav’s fireworks. But look closer. A grittier story played out in the shadows of that flashy 84. Cricket fans usually chase the big sixes. But the 2026 T20 World Cup opener against the USA actually turned on a much less flashy axis.
4 Reasons Axar Patel’s 'Boring' 22 Runs Actually Won India the Match
Axar Patel’s 22 off 18 balls looks plain on a scorecard. It sits among strike rates of 170. But India needed this "boring" knock. Without it, their title defence would've probably started with an embarrassing collapse.
1. Stopping the Bleeding at 46/4
Panic was in the air when Shivam Dube left for a golden duck. That left the home team stuck at 46 for 4. The USA pacers, especially Shadley van Schalkwyk, found enough movement to confuse India’s top order. The Wankhede crowd just went silent.
Axar didn't walk out to smash it. He walked out to survive. He soaked up the pressure that broke the guys before him. He played it straight against balls that needed respect, not a wild swing. By just staying there, he made the American bowlers change their lengths. He pulled India back from the edge of a sub-100 total.
2. The Anchor That Let SKY Fly
Suryakumar Yadav played his best when he trusted the guy at the other end. Had Axar fallen early, SKY would have needed to hog the strike. He might’ve had to hold back his natural game just to protect the tailenders.
Axar being there meant the captain could just play. He knew a solid partner was watching the other stump. This 41-run stand did more than just add runs; it bought time. Axar took the singles and kept things moving. He made sure Yadav saw enough balls to build that match-winning innings.
3. Killing the Mid-Over Squeeze
The USA spinners smelled blood. They tried to dry up the runs during the middle overs. A different batter might have swung out of frustration and holed out in the deep. Axar didn't. He was happy to just knock the ball into gaps and run hard.
This messy, hard-working style messed up the rhythm for Monank Patel, the USA captain. He couldn't set attacking fields while the score kept ticking over. Those 22 runs stopped the run rate from falling off a cliff. They filled the gap between the early disaster and the final explosion at the end.
4. Deflating the Underdogs
Momentum is everything in T20s. The USA had plenty of it early on. Every dot ball made them believe a massive upset was coming. Axar’s grit slowly killed that hope.
He didn't give them a fifth wicket for four straight overs. By doing that, he showed the panic was over. The Americans lost their edge as the partnership grew. They went from attacking to just trying to keep the score down. That defensive move was what let India eventually reach 161.
