Gautam Gambhir hosts Team India for dinner at his residence ahead of T20 World Cup match vs Namibia

This was the second time during Gambhir’s tenure as head coach that he hosted the Indian team for dinner. The previous instance occurred during the home Test series against West Indies last October.

India began their T20 World Cup title defence with a hard-fought 29-run victory over the USA on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Despite entering the contest as overwhelming favourites, the defending champions were put under severe pressure by a disciplined USA bowling attack.

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The USA bowlers reduced India to 77 for six inside the first 12 overs, leaving the hosts staring at the prospect of a below-par total. However, captain Suryakumar Yadav rose to the occasion with a composed yet authoritative innings, scoring an unbeaten 84 off 49 deliveries. His knock, laced with 10 fours and four sixes, helped India recover to a competitive 161 for nine. For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/29) and Harmeet Singh (2/26) were the standout performers with the ball.

In reply, the Indian bowlers ensured there was no further scare, restricting the USA to 132 for eight. Mohammed Siraj, making his first T20I appearance in 16 months after being drafted into the squad following Harshit Rana’s injury, claimed three wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel supported him well, picking up two wickets each.

After securing their opening win, India will next face Namibia in Delhi on February 12. However, uncertainty continues to surround their third group-stage fixture against Pakistan, with the latter having earlier threatened to boycott the match. The ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board are currently in discussions in Lahore, with an official decision expected in the coming days.

Despite the uncertainty, India are scheduled to travel to Colombo for the game against Pakistan, a detail confirmed earlier this week by Suryakumar Yadav.

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