US Ambassador’s T20 World Cup spotlight: Talks America’s cricket boom with Jay Shah, meets Ambanis

United States’ Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Saturday (February 7) highlighted the rapid growth of cricket in the US after meeting ICC Chairman Jay Shah during the India vs USA match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Mumbai.

Sharing pictures from the stadium on X, Gor said he met ICC Chairman Jay Shah during the match and discussed the rapid growth of cricket in the United States.

“A pleasure meeting with @ICC Chairman @JayShah at the #T20WorldCup today. We discussed the exponential growth of cricket in the United States with our world-class infrastructure, star talent, and incredible fans,” Gor wrote.

He was also seen alongside Shah during the national anthems and witnessed the opening ceremony, which featured fireworks ahead of the contest.

The Ambanis, Rohit Sharma present

Gor also met Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani who is Reliance Foundation founder-chairperson, on the sidelines of the match, calling it “great to see my friends” at the venue.

“Great to see my friends Mukesh and Nita Ambani on the sidelines of the #T20WorldCup match between @USACricket and India,” Gor said in a post.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma, who is a brand ambassador for this edition of the T20 World Cup, was also present at the stadium.

Earlier in the day, Gor posted on X after landing in Mumbai: “Just landed in Mumbai for the #T20WorldCup game! Big day for team @usacricket. Go Team USA.”

Gor’s presence at the fixture underlined the United States’ increasing engagement with international cricket, particularly as the sport continues to gain traction ahead of future global events involving the US team.

Following the national anthems, the US ambassador went on to meet members of the USA squad on the field, offering encouragement ahead of their Group A fixture against India.

India vs USA: Only second T20I meeting

Saturday’s match marked just the second T20I meeting between India and the USA. The two sides first faced each other at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where India won by seven wickets.

India and the USA are placed in Group A along with Namibia, the Netherlands and Pakistan.

T20 World Cup kicks off

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup began on February 7 and will conclude on March 8. The 20-team tournament opened with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

The USA, part of Group A in the 2026 edition, started their campaign against India at the Wankhede Stadium.

USA’s strong showing in previous World Cup

In the previous edition, the USA impressed on debut, reaching the Super Eight stage and famously defeating Pakistan. They also pushed eventual champions South Africa in a high-scoring Super Eight clash, falling just 18 runs short while chasing 195.

USA T20 World Cup squad

Monank Patel (C), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane.