Our Bureau
New Delhi
India demolished Namibia by 93 runs in their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, the 18th match out of 55 in the tournament. Batting first after losing the toss, India posted a formidable 209/9 in 20 overs, powered by explosive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan (61 off 24) and Hardik Pandya (52 off 28).
Kishan blazed to his fifty in just 20 balls, smashing three consecutive sixes early on, while Sanju Samson provided a fiery start with 22 off 8, including two maximums. A middle-order wobble saw Suryakumar Yadav (12) and Tilak Varma (25) depart, but Pandya and Shivam Dube (23 off 16) stitched an 81-run stand for the fifth wicket to propel India past 200. Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus starred with 4/20, including key strikes on Kishan and Pandya.
In reply, Namibia crumbled to 116 all out in 18.2 overs, with Louren Steenkamp top-scoring on 29. India’s spinners dominated, led by Varun Chakravarthy’s miserly 3/7 in two overs, while Jasprit Bumrah, returning from illness, and others mopped up the tail. This victory marks India’s biggest by runs margin in T20 World Cup history, surpassing their 90-run win over England in 2012.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav praised the batting depth post-match, emphasizing no complacency against associates. India, now 2-0 after beating USA, eyes a top-two finish in Group A alongside unbeaten Pakistan. Namibia, winless after a loss to Netherlands, fights for survival.
The win boosts India’s net run rate significantly ahead of tougher clashes. With Abhishek Sharma sidelined by illness and Sanju Samson stepping up, Gautam Gambhir’s side looks primed.
