Monank Patel has been handed the captain’s armband for the USA ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, a fitting reward for a player whose journey spans two cricketing worlds. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, born in Anand, Gujarat, was formally announced as captain on January 30.

Monank — who has already featured in 71 ODIs and 43 T20Is for the United States — brings both experience and a compelling backstory to the role: in his youth, he shared dressing rooms with future Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel while representing Gujarat age-group teams. In conversation with PTI, Monank smiled at those formative days and admitted that, once upon a time, wearing India blue was a dream.

“I played my first year of Gujarat U-19 with Jasprit and before that I played my U-16s with Axar. We (Bumrah and I) were together for a good two years, two seasons, playing a lot of games for the Gujarat team,” he recalled. Even then, he says, Bumrah’s talent was obvious. “We played both red-ball and white-ball cricket… even back then, the way Jasprit was performing, we knew he had that X-factor and that he would definitely go on to do something great.”

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Monank Patel’s appointment is also notable for what it represents off the field: cricket’s unifying power in a multi-ethnic, multi-faith dressing room. The USA squad blends players from India, Pakistan, the Caribbean and beyond, and Monank stressed that national identity takes precedence over subcontinental loyalties once the Stars and Stripes are on the chest.

“There’s no Indian, no Pakistani when you represent the USA. Everyone is representing the country… we are very close friends, very close teammates, and our goal is to make sure that we give our best, and stay committed,” he said, referencing teammates like Pakistan-origin quick Ali Khan and batter Shayan Jahangir.

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As Monank prepares to lead the USA onto cricket’s biggest T20 stage, his story — from Gujarat age-groups to captaining a rising American side — adds a human, aspirational dimension to the tournament narrative. This appointment is about leadership, experience and the soft diplomacy sport offers: building one team from many backgrounds and attempting to make genuine strides on the global stage.