Pokhara, 13 February | Host nation India continued its dominant run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a comprehensive 93-run victory over Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday night. After being invited to bat first, the Men in Blue posted a formidable total of 209/9 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, Namibia struggled against a disciplined Indian bowling attack and was eventually bundled out for 116 in 18.2 overs. This victory marks India’s second consecutive win in the tournament, propelling them to the top of the Group A standings ahead of Pakistan on net run rate.
The Indian innings was spearheaded by a blistering knock from opener Ishan Kishan, who smashed 61 runs off just 24 balls, hitting six boundaries and five towering sixes. Kishan’s aggressive start set the foundation, which was later capitalized on by Hardik Pandya, who scored a vital 52 off 28 deliveries. Despite a mid-innings wobble where captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for 12 and Axar Patel departed for a duck, contributions from Tilak Varma (25), Shivam Dube (23), and Sanju Samson (22) ensured India crossed the 200-run mark. Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus was the standout performer for his side, claiming a historic four-wicket haul (4/20), including a dramatic 19th over where he stifled the Indian lower order.
Namibia’s chase never truly took off as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Louren Steenkamp top-scored for the African nation with 29 runs, while Jan Frylinck added 22, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to withstand the pressure. For India, spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of the bowlers, returning remarkable figures of 3/7 in his two overs. All-rounder Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel also chipped in with two wickets apiece to dismantle the Namibian middle order. With four points and a superior net run rate of +3.050, India now looks forward to the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
