As the T20 World Cup 2026 unfolds across India and Sri Lanka, one team is drawing more local cheers than any other outsider- the United States. It is not only because of how they challenged India in the Group A opener, reducing them to 46/4 at one stage or their dominating win over the Netherlands, but also because of the faces in the huddle.
With nearly 90% of the squad tracing their roots back to the Indian subcontinent, Team USA has been playfully dubbed ‘India-B’ or ‘NRI India’ by local fans. But for the players, this tournament is more than a Homecoming; it’s a story of second chances, gruelling day jobs and the relentless pursuit of the American Dream through bat and ball.
USA cricket team: The Software engineer & the giant killers
The face of this bridge between two worlds remains Saurabh Netravalkar. A former India U-19 pacer and Mumbai domestic standout, Netravalkar famously moved to the US to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science. Today, he is a senior software professional who balances high-stakes coding sprints with bowling fiery yorkers.
“Most importantly it’s the love for it, I am passionate about tech and I’m passionate about the sport so, as long you’re passionate about it, it doesn’t seem like work,” Netravalkar was quoted as saying in an interview by TOI.
Joining him is skipper Monank Patel, who once played age-group cricket for Gujarat alongside current Indian stars. After his professional path in India hit a bottleneck, he followed his family to America. “God gave me a second chance,” Patel told reporters. “To lead the USA in India, on the grounds where I first learned the game, is a ‘meant-to-be’ situation,” he told TOI.
Many players from South Asia
The 2026 squad is a melting pot of South Asian heritage, highlighting a unique unity that transcends borders.
Players like Harmeet Singh and Shubham Ranjane grew up playing on the iconic Mumbai maidans. Harmeet, a U-19 World Cup winner for India in 2012, now spearheads the American spin attack.
Bowling all-rounder Mohammad Mohsin and batter Shayan Jahangir represent the Pakistani diaspora, bringing the flair of Karachi and Lahore to the American colours.
Former Sri Lankan international Shehan Jayasuriya recently earned his spot, bringing a wealth of subcontinental experience to a team that feels right at home in these conditions.
Cricket being ‘more than a game’
For players like Sanjay Krishnamurthi, a 22-year-old Bengaluru boy who is also a computer science student at San Jose University, the journey is about identity. Krishnamurthi, who recently stunned Namibia with a blistering 68*, represents the next gen of American cricket: players who were born or raised in the US but spent their formative years honing their skills in South Asian academies.
Even if Team USA fail to secure a place in the Super 8, they are not just be representing a flag; they are representing the millions of immigrants who moved for a better life but never let go of their first love. Since the USA beat Namibia and the Netherlands but lost to India and Pakistan, their Super 8 hopes currently rest on Net Run Rate (NRR) battles with Pakistan, hoping the Men in Green lose to Namibia in their last match.