We are definitely capable of beating India: USA pacer Ali Khan [Exclusive]

USA's Ali Khan backed his team to get the better of India at the 2026 T20 World Cup. He admitted that playing the Men in Blue at the previous T20 World Cup in 2024 was a huge confidence-booster for the team.

Ali also admitted that he would have loved to dismiss Virat Kohli in the 2024 encounter. The 35-year-old also said that he wants to claim the wicket of Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Ali went onto mention that playing against big teams like India has been rare but inspiring for the players.

Ali has impressed the cricket fraternity with his right-arm pace and grabbed attention of several analysts. Ali has played 15 ODIs and 18 T20Is so far, picking up 33 and 16 wickets, respectively.  

Q) India is one of the strongest teams in world cricket. What goes through your mind when facing a side like this?

India are probably the best side in the world right now, especially in T20 cricket. They are the defending champions. Playing them in the last World Cup gave us a lot of confidence because it was a really close game, and I genuinely feel we could have won it. That match gave us a lot of confidence going into this World Cup. Playing such a big side is always going to be challenging, but I think we are good enough. We are preparing really well for this World Cup, and I believe we are definitely capable of getting a win against India.

Q) One Indian batter you’d love to dismiss and why?

I would have loved to dismiss Virat, but I didn’t get to bowl to him. He got out early before I came on to bowl in the last World Cup. Now, he’s not part of the Indian set-up, but maybe one day, I’ll get to play against him and take his wicket. As for this T20 World Cup, India have a lot of crucial batters in their line-up, but one batter who can really change the game is their captain, Suryakumar Yadav. If I’m able to get his wicket, that would be really good.

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Q) You were part of the ICC T20 WC 2024 game against India. Have you received any advice from legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?

It’s always inspiring to play against such big names in world cricket, and it was definitely very motivating for us. Speaking to them after the game was motivating not just for me, but for all the other guys as well. It gives us a lot of experience and confidence. I think it’s a process that every player goes through when they play against such big sides. It’s definitely a big learning curve for everyone, and it really boosts confidence going into the next game. Especially for a team like the USA, we don’t get to play these big teams, the full-member sides, all the time because we’re not in the top 12. We don’t get many opportunities to play against big sides like this. But whenever we do get the opportunity, it’s always a chance for us to learn from these legends.