India delivered a commanding all-round performance as half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, backed by disciplined bowling, secured a 93-run win over Namibia in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Set a challenging 210-run target, Namibia managed only 116 runs before being bowled out in 18.2 overs despite a promising start, collapsing after the critical dismissal of Louren Steenkamp.
The Eagles reached 67 for one in seven overs, but the dismissal of Steenkamp on the first delivery of the next over triggered a collapse, as they lost their remaining eight wickets for 49 runs.
Steenkamp top-scored with 29 off 20 balls, while Jan Frylinck made 20 off 15 deliveries, with only Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, captain Gerhard Erasmus, and Zane Green reaching double figures.
Varun Chakravarthy led India’s bowling attack with three wickets, supported by Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya with two each, while Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Shivam Dube took one apiece.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus’s decision to field first backfired as the Men in Blue posted 209 for nine, recovering from an early loss of opener Sanju Samson for 22 off eight balls.
Kishan and Tilak Varma added 79 runs for the second wicket off 31 deliveries, putting India in a commanding position before Kishan departed after scoring 61 off 24 balls.
Following quick dismissals of Suryakumar Yadav for 12 and Varma for 25, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube stitched together an 81-run partnership, reviving India’s innings before falling on successive deliveries.
Pandya scored 52 off 28 balls, including four fours and four sixes, while Dube contributed 23 off 16 balls, helping India post a 200-plus total despite losing three more wickets late.
For Namibia, skipper Erasmus claimed four wickets for 20 runs in four overs, while JJ Smit, Bernard Scholtz, and Ben Shikongo took one wicket each as the team succumbed to a heavy defeat.
