India v Pakistan LIVE: Result and reaction from T20 World Cup in New York as India defend low total in win

It’s going to be quite the atmosphere in New York

India captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with an impressive half-century before retiring hurt to guide his team to an eight-wicket victory over Ireland in their opening T20 World Cup group match in New York on Wednesday.

After 14 wickets had fallen for 157 runs in the first match on the temporary drop-in pitch when South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets, India bowled Ireland out for 96 with four overs to spare.

Rohit helped allay fears the pitches imported from Adelaide were too helpful to the quicker bowlers, however, easing his way to 52 from 37 balls with three sixes and four fours ahead of one of the most anticipated games of the tournament against Pakistan on Sunday.

After Rohit won the toss on an overcast morning, Ireland were immediately in trouble as they slumped to 46-6. Only Gareth Delaney offered any real defiance in the face of an attack in which fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was again virtually unplayable, capturing 2-6 from his three overs and beating all the batters in the air or off the pitch.

Delaney, batting at number seven, scored 26 from 14 balls including a four and six from consecutive balls from left-arm paceman Arshdeep Singh before he was run out. Only three other Ireland players reached double figures.

After Virat Kohli had been quickly dismissed for one, Rishabh Pant (36 not out) batted with typical impudence, scoring the winning runs with a reverse sweep for six.

The 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup is being held in the United States for the first time, with the West Indies as co-hosts.

England go into the tournament as title holders having won the last edition less than two years ago, beating Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India are among the favourites for the International Cricket Council event but they have not won a major cricket tournament since the Champions Trophy in 2013 and the T20 World Cup has evaded their grasp since they became the first-ever winners back in 2007.

Meanwhile, Australia stand on the brink of an unprecedented feat in world cricket. If Mitchell Marsh’s side can win, the nation will hold every major cricketing trophy across the men’s and women’s game.

United States captain Monank Patel said his side’s historic T20 World Cup super-over win against Pakistan will help boost the sport’s popularity in the country.

The tournament co-hosts sealed a famous upset at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas by holding their nerve to win the super over after a thrilling match was tied.

Pakistan had been restricted to 159-7 in their regulation innings, but hit back after the United States appeared to be cruising in reply at 111-2 in the 14th over only to finish on 159-3

Patel said: “Of course, beating Pakistan in a World Cup is going to open many doors for us. And people, like the USA cricket community, (will) be aware of it. Obviously hosting the World Cup in the USA and performing here as a team, it helps us to grow cricket in the USA.

“I am happy with the win, playing against Pakistan for the first time in the World Cup and beating them. It was an unbelievable performance from our side.”

The United States won a thrilling super over to seal a famous victory against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in Dallas.

After both sides finished their innings on 159 in their Group A match at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, the USA held their nerve to pull off a major upset and make it back-to-back wins in the tournament.

Batting first in the super over, the USA made 18-1, with Aaron Jones on 11 before being run out and seven runs coming via extras.

Iftikhar Ahmed then took Pakistan to five for none off three balls in their super over before he was brilliantly caught by Nitish Kumar close to the boundary and USA bowler Saurabh Netravalkar restricted them to 13-1.

Concerns are growing over the state of the T20 World Cup pitch in New York, with former England coach Andy Flower suggesting conditions at the ground were “bordering on dangerous” during India’s win over Ireland.

Bringing big matches to the pop up Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island has been a key part of the International Cricket Council’s bid to break the lucrative American market, but the gambit is off to a rocky start. With ‘drop in’ pitches grown over 1,000 miles away in Florida and transported via truck just a month ago, teething problems are hardly a surprise.

After a low-scoring opening game between South Africa and Sri Lanka served up scores of 77 all out and 80-4 – hardly the kind of explosive hitting promoters would hope for – things got even trickier on Wednesday.

Runs were hard to come by again as Ireland were bowled out for 96 with huge variations in bounce causing havoc for their batters. India chased their target with plenty of time to spare but only after captain Rohit Sharma retired hurt having taken blow on the upper arm from a Josh Little delivery that leapt sharply.

Flower, a seasoned coach with experience all over the world, sounded a note of caution about the setup.

“I’ve got to say that is not a good surface to play international cricket on. It is bordering on dangerous,” he told ESPN Cricinfo. “We saw the ball bouncing from a length both ways, keeping low occasionally but in the main bouncing unusually high and striking people on the the thumb, the gloves, the helmet. It proved very, very difficult batting conditions for any side.”

The Group A fixture between India and Pakistan is due to start at 3.30pm BST on Sunday 9 June at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the action live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage on the channels from 3pm BST. Subscribers can stream the match via Sky Go.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Despite that shock defeat to the USA, Pakistan may stick with an unchanged team with their four-pronged seam attack likely to do damage on a fast, bowler-friendly surface.

Usman Khan should remain in an otherwise highly-experienced top four, though the talented Saim Ayub may be considered.

Predicted Pakistan XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Rohit Sharma was forced to retire hurt after taking his side to the brink of victory over Ireland, but the India skipper played down injury fears afterwards and should be fit to open once more.

Having named a spin-heavy squad, all three of India’s specialist seamers were deployed in their first game and seem likely to continue at the same venue.

Predicted India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

One of sport’s fiercest rivalries will tread new territory as India and Pakistan meet in New York.

A crunch T20 World Cup clash has become virtually must-win for Pakistan after a shock defeat in a super over to the USA in Dallas on Thursday.

With only two teams progressing from Group A, defeat to their neighbours India — who kicked off their campaign with a win over Ireland — could well spell the end of Babar Azam and co’s ambitions.

The playing surface will be in the spotlight, too, with the ICC forced to issue a statement after an unpredictable Nassau County pitch was heavily criticised ahead of this marquee encounter.

Here’s everything you need to know: