India’s finisher Rinku Singh was awarded the fielder of the match medal after the defending champions secured a 29-run victory against the USA in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, held at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Rinku was active on the field, saving crucial runs during the USA’s chase. He also took a brilliant catch of Sanjay Krishnamurthi at deep mid-wicket in the 16th over, which brought the team closer to victory.
In a video released by BCCI on Instagram, Rinku was seen preparing for his speech after winning the medal.
As the skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced his name, the right-handed batter said, “Hello Team India. It is the start of the tournament, and we have to keep this spirit for the rest of the tournament and be aggressive. Keep supporting each other, and GG sir (head coach Gautam Gambhir) always says, ruthless."
However, Rinku did not impress with the bat in his T20 World Cup debut. Coming in at a crucial time when India was struggling at 46/4 after the power play, he was dismissed early after scoring just five runs off 11 balls.

Regarding the match, skipper Suryakumar played a match-winning knock of 84 not out after India had a poor start.

When the two-time champions were down at 77/6, Surya and Axar Patel added a vital 41 runs for the seventh wicket partnership. The Indian skipper then showcased his 360-degree stroke-making abilities and power-hitting, hammering two sixes and two fours in the final over to help India reach 161/9 in 20 overs.

Mohammad Siraj claimed three wickets for 29 runs, and with Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel taking two wickets each, India restricted the USA innings to 132/8, winning by 29 runs.
India will next face Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.