India’s Ishan Kishan performs a shot in the course of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup group stage match towards Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on February 12, 2026. — Fb/@IndianCricketTeam
After being requested to bat first, India set a 210-run goal for Namibia, powered by Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s fiery fifties, within the 18th group stage match of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 on the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on Thursday.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus’s resolution to discipline first backfired as the house facet piled up 209/9 of their 20 overs.
The hosts acquired off to a contrasting begin to their innings as right-handed opener Sanju Samson fell sufferer to Ben Shikongo after scoring an eight-ball 22, which featured three sixes and a 4.
The platform-setting partnership concluded with Kishan’s dismissal on the primary supply of the eighth over, who walked again after top-scoring with a 24-ball 61, studded with six fours and 5 sixes.
His dismissal adopted two additional setbacks for the house facet as their captain Suryakumar Yadav (12) and Varma (25) perished in fast succession.
With the scoreboard studying 124/4 in 11.5 overs, Pandya and Shivam Dube launched an astounding restoration because the duo knitted a quickfire 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket earlier than each perished on successive deliveries within the penultimate over.
Pandya made a 28-ball 52, laced with 4 fours and as many sixes, whereas Dube chipped in with 23 off 16 deliveries.
Their back-to-back dismissals sparked a collapse as India misplaced three extra wickets on the backend however managed to put up a 200-plus whole.
Skipper Erasmus was the standout bowler for Namibia, taking 4 wickets for simply 20 runs in his 4 overs, whereas JJ Smit, Bernard Scholtz and Shikongo may make one scalp apiece.
