Cricket fans at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium were left stunned on February 7, 2026, as the much-favored Indian cricket team found themselves in unfamiliar territory, reeling at 77 for 6 in just 12.4 overs against a spirited USA side during the opening day of the ICC T20 World Cup. While the world expected a routine display of dominance from India, it was the duo of Shadley van Schalkwyk and Ali Khan who carved their names into cricketing folklore, delivering a performance that will be talked about for years to come.
The Indian batting lineup, stacked with T20 superstars, was expected to set the tone for their title defense. Instead, they encountered a storm brewed by two bowlers whose journeys to the world stage couldn’t have been more different. Van Schalkwyk, the South African seamer with a history of academic struggles, and Ali Khan, the Pakistani-American fast bowler whose cricketing dreams were nearly dashed by migration, became the architects of one of the most dramatic collapses in World Cup history.
It all began in the sixth over. Van Schalkwyk, not known for express pace but for his guile, stunned the Indian crowd by snaring three wickets in a single over. First, Ishan Kishan attempted a booming drive but only managed to find the hands at mid-off. Next, Tilak Varma was surprised by a short ball and sent a tame pull straight to midwicket. Then, Shivam Dube, facing his first delivery, was undone by a beautifully disguised slower ball, lobbing it off the edge to short fine-leg. The stadium, packed with expectant Indian supporters, fell into a hush—a collective gasp that echoed the disbelief on the field.
Van Schalkwyk’s path to this moment was anything but straightforward. Growing up in Cape Town, he was no stranger to adversity. "I hated the first week there so much I phoned home one day from the school to ask if I could leave and my mom said, 'You weren't accepted by any other schools, so you aren't leaving'," van Schalkwyk recalled of his early days at Wynberg High School, the alma mater of Jacques Kallis. Yet, the very environment that initially felt so hostile became his salvation. "More than anything because they allowed me to be the person I am rather than boxing me into being someone or something they wanted me to become," he said, as quoted by allovercricket.com. With academics proving a challenge, van Schalkwyk poured his energy into cricket, channeling frustration into a relentless drive to improve.
On the other side of the world, Ali Khan’s cricketing odyssey was marked by abrupt change and quiet resilience. Born in Attock, Punjab, Pakistan, on December 13, 1990, Khan moved to Dayton, Ohio, at a young age. The transition was swift—an uncle’s sponsorship, visa interviews, and suddenly, a new life in America. "My family wanted a brighter future for all of us, and they felt that we would have better opportunities if we moved there. It all happened so quick," Ali told Cricketer magazine. But the American dream didn’t seem to include cricket, at least at first. With no teams or leagues in sight, Khan resorted to bowling against a wall, pretending to be Shoaib Akhtar firing thunderbolts at Shahid Afridi. "When I first moved to America, I totally gave up on cricket as I thought nobody even knew what cricket was out there," he admitted.
Yet, that wall became his silent coach. Every delivery, every bounce, was a rehearsal for the day he would finally get his chance. That chance came thanks to his uncle’s encouragement to play for a local club in Ohio. His raw pace was soon noticed by legendary West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh during an ICC Americas combine in 2015, leading to his List A debut for the ICC Americas team in 2016. Franchise cricket soon beckoned, with Dwayne Bravo spotting his talent at a US Open T20 tournament. Bravo’s mentorship helped him secure a spot with the Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada and later with Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where Ali Khan played seven seasons and helped clinch a title with 16 wickets in his first year. He even became the first American to be included in an IPL squad when he joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020, though injury kept him from debuting.
Back at Wankhede, Ali Khan’s moment arrived. Bowling with speeds exceeding 140 km/h, he dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck on his T20 World Cup debut. Sharma, touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, became only the second Indian to suffer a golden duck on T20 World Cup debut—an unwanted record he now shares with Ashish Nehra. The American think tank had clearly done their homework, setting a deep cover trap that Sharma fell right into. As ESPN noted, "The crucial strike for USA was provided by Ali Khan who opened up the game for his side early up."
Khan’s journey from a sales representative in Dayton to international cricket was anything but linear. His persistence paid off when he made his T20I debut for the USA against Panama on November 7, 2021. Since then, he’s played 18 T20I matches, claiming 16 wickets with best figures of 3/23. His franchise career has spanned continents, with stints at Karachi Kings (PSL), Vancouver Knights (Global T20 Canada), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC), and more. Yet, it was this World Cup performance—against cricket’s biggest powerhouse—that truly announced his arrival on the global stage.
India’s collapse to 72 for 5 was more than a statistical oddity; it was a testament to the grit and preparation of a USA team comprised largely of players who balance cricket with regular day jobs. As Saurabh Netravalkar remarked on the eve of the match, "We shall then see what happens." The world certainly saw, as van Schalkwyk and Khan defied expectations, not just for themselves but for a team and a nation still forging its cricketing identity.
As the action continues in Mumbai, the story of this match is far from over. But whatever the final score, the performances of Shadley van Schalkwyk and Ali Khan have already ensured their place in World Cup history—reminders that sometimes, the most remarkable moments in sport come from those who refuse to be defined by their circumstances.