During the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, India clashed with the United States on February 7 (Saturday) at Mumbai's renowned Wankhede Stadium. In this electrifying match, USA's fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk became the center of attention with his spectacular bowling. This right-arm pacer shattered the Indian lineup by dismissing Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, and Shivam Dube during the powerplay. In his final over, he claimed Arshdeep Singh as well. Van Schalkwyk conceded only 25 runs while capturing 4 crucial wickets.
Remarkably, 37-year-old van Schalkwyk took a total of three wickets in the sixth over of India's innings. He began by getting Ishan Kishan caught by Milind Kumar on the second delivery. Ishan had scored 20 runs off 16 balls. On the fifth ball, van Schalkwyk sent Tilak Varma back to the pavilion at an individual score of 25, with USA captain Monank Patel catching the crucial delivery. Then, with a cleverly bowled slow ball on the last delivery, he outsmarted Shivam Dube, who failed to get off the mark.
After dismissing Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube on consecutive deliveries, van Schalkwyk was on the verge of claiming a hat-trick, but Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav denied him the feat. Many experts anticipated that Saurabh Netravalkar would pose the biggest threat to India, but van Schalkwyk stunned everyone with his exceptional spell, emerging as the most effective bowler against India.
Who is Shadley van Schalkwyk?
Shadley van Schalkwyk was born in Cape Town, South Africa. His cricket journey began in South Africa when he debuted in domestic cricket for Western Province in February 2008. He played his first First-Class match in November 2008 and made his T20 debut for Eagles against Dolphins in January 2009. Despite his impressive domestic career in South Africa, including scoring 2593 runs and taking 239 wickets in 97 First-Class matches, van Schalkwyk never had the opportunity to play for the national team. In List-A cricket, he amassed 1113 runs and claimed 161 wickets in 124 matches, while in 121 T20 matches, he scored over 500 runs and took 124 wickets.
Despite his remarkable record, van Schalkwyk never received a call-up for the South African national team. Subsequently, he shifted his focus to the United States, where he continues to display consistent performances. Van Schalkwyk has played 13 ODIs and 15 T20 Internationals for the USA, taking a total of 36 wickets and scoring nearly 270 runs.
Following his sensational performance against India, Shadley van Schalkwyk has become a much-discussed figure in the cricket world. His pace, variety, and ability to claim wickets under pressure have demonstrated his potential to make a significant impact on the grand stage. It remains to be seen how he extends this excellent form throughout the remainder of the tournament...
