HIGHLIGHTS India vs Namibia, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, 18 T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for Namibia's reply. Suryakumar Yadav has gathered his men in a huddle before they spread out onto the park. It will be Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp to open the innings for Namibia. Hardik Pandya will start with the new ball. Steenkamp will take the first strike. A slip in place. Let's go...

.... THE RUN CHASE ....

Looking ahead - Right then, Namibia do have a bit of momentum with them at the halfway mark and much will depend on how they start in the chase. It won't be easy against this Indian attack, which has quality in both spin and pace departments. Stay tuned for the chase!

Gerhard Erasmus stepped up - India were motoring along, and Namibia desperately needed inspiration. It came from their skipper. With his unorthodox off breaks and clever use of different release points, Erasmus disrupted the rhythm of the Indian batters. India managed to get the innings back on track through Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya, and looked on course for a strong finish. However, JJ Smit and Ruben Trumpelmann triggered the turnaround with a couple of tight overs before Gerhard Erasmus worked his magic at the death to finish with a four-wicket haul.

India came out swinging - They racked up 86 runs in the Powerplay, with Namibia not quite hitting their straps early on. Ishan Kishan, in particular, cashed in on anything loose while his opening partner, Sanju Samson, in for the unwell Abhishek Sharma, could not quite make the opportunity count.

Special comeback from Namibia - Just 25 runs off the last four overs and 5 wickets to go with it. First 7 overs - 104/1, next 13 overs - 105/8. Given the way India started, one wondered whether Namibia would be batted out of the game, but they hung in there amid the onslaught and will be happy with the way they pulled things back.

JJ Smit to Arshdeep Singh, OUT! ARSHDEEP SINGH IS RUN OUT! The batters simply had to go for the second run, as it was the last delivery of the innings but Namibia managed to get another wicket. JJ Smit bowls another yorker, angling it in at the toes. Singh gets the front pad out of the way and jams it down through square leg. Malan Kruger tidies up in the deep and fires in a perfect throw at the keeper's end. Zane Green dislodges the bails with Arshdeep Singh not even in the frame. India finish with 209/9 on the board!

Run out on the last ball! Or is it? Yep, Arshdeep Singh is short of his ground.

JJ Smit to Varun Chakaravarthy, A low full toss, wide outside off, Varun Chakaravarthy gets across and powers it to the right of long off. Gerhard Erasmus is quick to cut it off and keeps it down to a single.

JJ Smit to Arshdeep Singh, Another yorker at the toes, Arshdeep Singh looks to swing it away but gets an inside-edge onto the pads. The batters scamper through for a single.

One Singh replaces the other. Here's Arshdeep Singh.

JJ Smit to Rinku Singh, OUT! CAUGHT! Namibia are finishing strongly here and JJ Smit gets a well-deserved wicket here. The pacer sticks to the fuller delivery and bowls it at the stumps. Rinku Singh tries to charge forward and loft it away but gets too close to the pitch of the ball and is unable to generate much power. Rinku hits it straight down the throat of the long-on fielder, where Gerhard Erasmus takes a simple catch. You cannot keep him out of the game at the moment, and India have now lost 4 wickets for one run.

JJ Smit to Rinku Singh, No run taken and that is expected at this stage. A low full toss on middle and leg, Rinku Singh sweeps it towards deep square leg and keeps strike.

JJ Smit to Rinku Singh, Immaculate length again from JJ Smit. Full and in the blockhole, angled into the batter. Rinku Singh makes room and jams it to cover.

The new batter is Varun Chakaravarthy.

Gerhard Erasmus to Axar Patel, OUT! CASTLED! Gerhard Erasmus, you beauty. Make that four wickets for the Namibian skipper. It is all going pear-shaped at the back end for India. Erasmus bowls it with a round-arm action and releases by getting low. On a length, angled in at the sticks. The ball does not rise at all and Axar has a swing across the line. It sneaks under the blade and crashes into the stumps. A golden duck for Axar. A sheepish smile on the face of Erasmus. Three wickets in the over and India are now 206/7 after being 199/4 at the start of the over.

Gerhard Erasmus to Rinku Singh, Full and on off, Rinku thumps it down to long on and crosses over.

Gerhard Erasmus to Rinku Singh, Just in! Bowled by going wide of the crease and by getting low. Full and flirting with the tramline. Rinku lets it be, thinking it will be called wide but the umpire is happy with it.

Two in two for Namibia. Axar Patel makes his way out to the centre.

Gerhard Erasmus to Rinku Singh, OUT! SHIVAM DUBE IS RUN OUT! They say never run on a misfield but Rinku Singh has sold Shivam Dube down the river here. Gerhard Erasmus brings out the round-armer and bowls it a tad short outside off. Rinku Singh reaches out to cut but smacks it down to cover. Ben Shikongo gets a bad bounce and parries it in front of himself. Dube sets off for the single and Rinku responds as well, but Shikongo is quick to scamper back to the ball and Rinku changes his mind. It is too late as Dube is almost at the striker's end. The throw is lobbed back to Erasmus, who knocks over the bails with a smile on his face.

Rinku Singh walks in.

Gerhard Erasmus to Hardik Pandya, OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! That is a sensational effort from the substitute fielder and Gerhard Erasmus will feel he's got away with one here. Full and fired towards the stumps, Hardik Pandya slogs it flat and hard behind square leg. Dylan Leicher runs across the length of the fence to his right and pouches it brilliantly. He is able to keep his composure by tossing the ball back up as he runs over the ropes and runs back inside the ropes to pouch it again. The third umpire deems it fair and Hardik is already near the exit door. India are 205/5 as Pandya's fine knock comes to an end.

Excellent catch in the deep by the sub fielder, Dylan Leicher. The umpires have sent it upstairs for a check.

Gerhard Erasmus to Hardik Pandya, SIX! That's gone deep into the stands and Hardik Pandya brings up his third T20 World Cup FIFTY. Flatter one, angled across the middle and leg. Hardik Pandya goes deep in the crease and swings it handsomely over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The 200 is also up for India with that sizzling shot.

15 runs off the last 2 overs. Namibia will take that at any stage of the game, especially at the death. Can they close this out strongly? Gerhard Erasmus has taken it upon himself to bowl the 19th over.

JJ Smit to Hardik Pandya, Smit errs on the fuller side and serves a low full toss outside off. Pandya hangs back and laces it flat but straight to long off for a single. 9 runs off the over.

JJ Smit to Shivam Dube, Full and straight, angled into the toes, heaved down to long on for a single.

JJ Smit to Shivam Dube, FOUR! Oh, it deserved a better fielding effort, perhaps. Wide yorker now, in the blockhole as well but Shivam Dube shows he's not all about power. He waits back and angles it through the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary.

JJ Smit to Hardik Pandya, Doesn't carry! Another full delivery, bowled well wide of the off stump line. Hardik Pandya nearly falls over as he reaches for it and powers it on the bounce to deep cover for a single.

JJ Smit to Shivam Dube, Another yorker from Smit, and right on the money as well. Bowled at just 121.7 kph, but right at the toes. Dube gets the front leg out of the way and jams it to mid on for one more.

JJ Smit to Hardik Pandya, A wide yorker, nailed to perfection. Pandya squeezes it to deep point and picks up a single.

Superb execution from Ruben Trumpelmann. One left-arm seamer replaces the other. JJ Smit (2-0-38-0) is back.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, Brilliant over, five singles and a leg bye off it. Fuller to Pandya this time, around off stump. Hardik leans on and toe-ends the drive through mid off for a single. India are 190/4 with 3 overs to go.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, In the blockhole, a bit closer to the off stump. Shivam Dube digs it out firmly down to long off and picks up one more.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, This is good bowling from Trumpelmann. Length ball, darted in towards the pads, shaping in a bit. Pandya gets inside the line to flick but gets a thud on the pads. The ball rolls away to the leg side and they get a leg bye.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, Full and wide again to Dube. Trumpelmann lands it perfectly on the tramline, Dube jams it down through cover-point for one more.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, A bit fuller and jammed in at the pads, Pandya miscues the whip and gets it through square leg for a single.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, The plan nearly comes off for Namibia. Back of a length and wide outside off, Shivam Dube reaches for it and slices it on the bounce to the onrushing deep point fielder for a single.

Ruben Trumpelmann returns. He will bowl out now. 3-0-33-0 so far for the left-arm speedster.

Ben Shikongo to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! Not a bad ball, but that's been put away as well. Full and wide outside off, in the blockhole. Pandya drills the drive through cover-point, and the ball rolls away to the fence. The replays show that Hardik pats the bowler on the shoulder. Nothing much wrong with that delivery, just the sheer class of the batter. 16 off the over, 40 off the last 2 overs.

Ben Shikongo to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! The bowler was ducking for cover! Very full and outside off, Ben misses the yorker length by a few inches. Hardik Pandya stands past the off-stump line and drills it flat back over the bowler's head for a boundary again. This is a tremendous field awareness, along with fierce striking.

Ben Shikongo to Hardik Pandya, SIX! Launched over the ropes and up comes the 50-run stand between these two. Slightly overpitched and outside off, Pandya hangs deep and pummels it straight back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Ben Shikongo to Shivam Dube, Another wide delivery, slower and ends up being a low full toss. Dube taps it wide of point for a single.

Ben Shikongo to Hardik Pandya, In the air but will land well short. Pitched up, full and outside off, Pandya lines it up and hammers it flat down to long off for just a single.

Ben Shikongo to Hardik Pandya, Full and wide outside off, Hardik Pandya drills the drive straight to the cover fielder.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Spears in a full ball, outside off, this is hit down to long off for one. 24 runs off the over!

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! That should have been stopped. Full and near the tramline, Hardik makes contact and slaps it to cover, where the fielder dives over the ball and lets it through. It speeds away to the fence in no time. After a brief quiet period, India are roaring again.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Well bowled! Gets in the wide yorker, outside off, Pandya tries to squeeze it out but misses.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, SIX! Clean strike! Fuller and wider, on off, Hardik reaches out by extending his hands and clobbers it over wide long off for a six. That just kept travelling into the crowd. Hardik is in the mood this evening.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, Near the tramline on off, full in length. Shivam pats it through covers for a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, FIVE WIDES! The idea was right, but the execution was not so much. Attempts the yorker but slips it down leg, Dube misses out on the tickle and the keeper, Zane Green, stands no chance. He is beaten to his right, and the ball races away.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, SIX! Deposited on the second tier! Bernard drags it down, on off. Dube stays back and swivels. Nails the pull way over deep mid-wicket for probably the biggest hit of the night.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, Wide! Bernard Scholtz tries to keep it away from the batter's arc, but it goes well beyond the tramline. Shivam offers no shot.

DRINKS BREAK! A brilliant passage of play for Namibia in the middle overs but India still have plenty of batting in the sheds. 200 seems like a certainty right now but Namibia will be looking to restrict India to as low a total as possible. If the duo of Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube cut loose, it could be trouble for the Namibian pacers at the death, as their spinners are the ones who have done the damage so far. Let's see if Namibia can do a bit more damage heading into the death overs or not.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! Beautiful! A boundary off the final ball spoils the over from Namibia's perspective. A bit too full from Trumpelmann, outside off, Hardik just leans into the drive and cracks it between cover and mid off for a boundary. Two successive 10-run overs for India.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, Hard-length delivery, on off, Shivam hangs on the back foot, gets his hands high and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one more.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, Running across the batter, on a short of a length. Hardik angles it behind point and gets to the other end.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Hardik Pandya, Wide! Looks to get the yorker in, does Ruben. Ends up serving a low full toss, well beyond the tramline. Hardik lets it be.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, Into the wicket, on off, Dube swivels and swings hard on the pull. Drags it off the inner half to deep mid-wicket for one.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, In the channel, on a short of a length. Shivam chops it to backward point.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Shivam Dube, Ruben Trumpelmann returns to the attack. He starts with a full ball, on middle and leg. Dube clips it off the pads between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg. Dube comes charging back for the second and makes it home before the throw arrives.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, Fullish ball, on middle. Shivam wrists it through mid-wicket and picks up a single. 10 runs off the over!

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, On a length, around off, Hardik plays a punchy drive to long off and turns the strike over.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, SIX! First boundary in 18 balls for India. Sliding on with the arm, on a length, on middle. Pandya clears the front leg and swings through the line. Deposits it with ease over long on for a biggie.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Darted in, flat and short, on middle. Hardik punches it on the bounce towards the bowler. A half-stop from Bernard Scholtz and the ball rolls behind but they do not run.

Bernard Scholtz to Shivam Dube, Full and around off, eased to long off for a single by Dube to get off the mark.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Full and on off, Hardik plays it to long off for one.

Gerhard Erasmus to Shivam Dube, A bit of fun out there in the middle and the Namibian skipper is really enjoying the challenge. A low full toss around middle, Dube pushes it down to the left of the bowler. Erasmus dives across and gets tangled with the non-striker. Pandya ends up falling on Erasmus, who tries to lift him like in the gym but Pandya shrugs him off and the two of them punch hands.

As the discussion regarding Gerhard Erasmus' bowling rages on in the broadcaster's box, he picks up another wicket. India lose their fourth. Shivam Dube walks out to bat at number 6.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, OUT! CAUGHT! Tilak Varma falls now. Wicket number 2 for Gerhard Erasmus. Floated up, full and on off. This is bowled from behind the stumps, but whilst being in front of the umpire. Tilak shimmies down the pitch and looks to go down the ground with a straight bat. He gets it back over the bowler's head, but it is not wide enough of the man at long off. JJ Smit runs to his left in front of the ropes and stays side-on. Takes the catch around his chest and does well to stay away from the boundary cushions. This is turning out to be a good phase in the game for Namibia. From 104/1, India are now 124/4.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, Quicker through the air, fuller and on off, Varma pushes it to cover.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, This is bowled by going low, fuller and on middle. Tilak presses forward for the block. Gets an inside edge on the front pad.

Gerhard Erasmus to Hardik Pandya, Very full, fired in, on off and middle. Hardik hurriedly drops his bat down on the ball. Squeezes it out to long off for one.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, Bowled from a round-arm action and by going wide of the crease. Short and on the pads, Varma tucks it in front of square on the leg side for a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Terrific over from Bernard Scholtz, two runs and a wicket off it. Fuller and angled into the legs again, Pandya clips it to mid-wicket again.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, Quicker one, fired in at the pads at 91.5 kph. Pandya flicks it straight to mid-wicket.

Bernard Scholtz to Tilak Varma, Dragged length around off, sits up a bit. Tilak Varma presses back and jabs it through mid on for another single.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, A bit fuller and around off, Pandya squeezes it away in front of point and gets off the mark with a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Hardik Pandya, The in-drifter from Scholtz, just straightens a touch. Hardik Pandya blocks it right under the eyes.

The next batter is Hardik Pandya.

Bernard Scholtz to Suryakumar Yadav, OUT! STUMPED! Bernard Scholtz gets the prized scalp of the Indian skipper. On a nagging length, on off and middle from around the wicket. Suryakumar Yadav premeditates as he dances down the track. Opens up the front hip to go inside out over covers. He is nowhere near the pitch of the ball but still goes through with the swing. The ball lands and rips past the outside edge. The keeper, Zane Green, collects and whips the bails off. SKY turned around and tried to get back in but Green was quick enough.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Another round-armer, fired well across SKY. Yadav reaches out to cut and gets an outside edge. It goes off the keeper's pads and rolls to short third. They get a single. India are 120/2 after the first 10 overs.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, No wide given and Yadav is not impressed. Round-arm delivery from Erasmus, fired well across the right-hander. Yadav reaches to cut but the ball stays low and beats the bat.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX! A boundary after 16 balls. Fuller and angled just across off, Suryakumar Yadav shuffles to the off side, gets inside the line and flicks the sweep to the right of deep backward square leg. Ruben Trumpelmann runs across but the ball just sails over the fence.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, Good length on off, sliding on, Varma punches it down to long off and turns the strike over.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Fuller and on leg stump, driven firmly down to long on for a single.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Darted in on the pads at 88 kph, Yadav tucks it to square leg. Dot ball.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, WIDE! Flatter one, fired across the right-hander from around the wicket, with a slingy action. Too wide for the umpire's liking.

Bernard Scholtz to Suryakumar Yadav, Excellent work in the deep but that should have been two. Floated up outside off, SKY lunges across and sweeps it over short fine leg. Ben Shikongo at deep backward square leg sprints to his right and cuts it off. Just a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Tilak Varma, Flatter and outside off, Varma cuts it down on one knee and in front of point for a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Suryakumar Yadav, No timing on it! Drifted into the batter, SKY shimmies down the pitch and plays the lofted drive on the bounce to wide long off. Another single.

Bernard Scholtz to Tilak Varma, Dragged length outside off, gently turns in a bit. Varma wrists it between mid on and mid-wicket for one more.

Bernard Scholtz to Suryakumar Yadav, A bit fuller and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav lunges across and drives it through covers for a single.

Bernard Scholtz to Suryakumar Yadav, Length ball, in line with the stumps and straightens a bit. Yadav blocks it down the track.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, Tossed up outside off, Varma reaches out and smacks it straight to cover-point. Just a single and a massive wicket off that over from Gerhard Erasmus.

What happened there? We have seen bowlers bowling from well behind the crease, and Gerhard Erasmus tried something similar. However, it was immediately called a dead ball by Rod Tucker, who is standing at the bowling end. By the looks of it, Tucker wants Erasmus positioned in front of him while delivering the ball. The replays, though, show that Erasmus released the ball while being in front of the umpire.

Gerhard Erasmus to Tilak Varma, Fullish length on off, skids through quickly. Tilak Varma blocks it off.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Flatter delivery on the pads, Yadav flicks it through square leg and picks up a single.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Nagging length outside off, SKY lunges across to sweep it fine but the fielder at backward square leg makes a good stop.

Gerhard Erasmus to Suryakumar Yadav, Flatter one at the stumps, Suryakumar Yadav looks to whip it away but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

End of the fireworks from Ishan Kishan. In walks the Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav. Just after the wicket fell, Gerhard Erasmus gathered his men for a quick chat.

Gerhard Erasmus to Ishan Kishan, OUT! TAKEN! Finally, some respite for Namibia and it is the skipper who comes up trumps for them. Gerhard Erasmus starts with a shortish ball around off and it is there to be put away. Ishan Kishan goes deep in the crease and ends up shovelling the pull shot flat towards deep mid-wicket. Ben Shikongo dives forward and clings to the catch. A fiery knock from Kishan comes to an end and the 79-run stand off only 31 balls is broken.

Max Heingo to Ishan Kishan, Full and on off, driven to long off for a single.

Max Heingo to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Fastest team hundred in Men's T20 World Cup history, as mentioned on-air by Ian Smith. Off-pace, a bit short and on middle and leg. Kishan rolls his wrists over the ball and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Max Heingo to Ishan Kishan, SIX! Ishan Kishan piles on the misery. Dug in a bit short and angled into the batter, trying to tuck him up. Kishan just gets inside the line and heaves it high and long over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Max Heingo to Tilak Varma, DROPPED! Oh, no! What a golden opportunity for Namibia and that could be a huge miss. Back of a length and shaping away from the left-hander. Tilak Varma throws his hands at it and miscues it straight to the point fielder. Louren Steenkamp spills it and the batters cross for a single. Namibia simply cannot afford any lapses in the field.

Max Heingo to Tilak Varma, Shorter one, angled in from around off, Varma gets on top of the bounce and pulls it down wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Max Heingo to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Oh, that's unlucky for the bowler. Short of a good length, outside off. Varma looks to play away from the body and chops it down past the stumps and the ball rolls into the fine leg fence.

DRINKS BREAK! We are done with the Powerplay, and it is already looking ominous for Namibia. It has largely been down to the Namibian bowlers missing their lengths, and the Indian batters have been quick to cash in. Ian Smith informs on air that 86 runs scored by India in the Powerplay is the highest for any team in this World Cup. Namibia will hope to wrest back some control through the middle phase with field restrictions now lifted.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Ishan Kishan brings up his FIFTY in 20 balls. The pocket rocket has been on a rampage tonight. Shorter but too straight from Smit, Kishan hangs back and forces the pull to the right of deep backward square leg for a boundary. India are 86/1 at the end of 6 overs.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, SIX! FOUR IN A ROW! Back of a length, slanted into the batter, Kishan gets inside the line again and pulls it flat and just over the leaping fielder at deep backward square leg for another biggie. 24 off the over with one ball to go.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, SIX! Make it a hat-trick of sixes and the 50-run stand is up between these two. Smit brings the keeper up to the stumps and bowls it full on middle, Kishan doesn't get bothered and steps out again, smacking it back over the bowler's head for another six.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, SIX MORE! Smit pulls the length back a bit and bowls it on middle. Kishan steps down the pitch, swings through the line and the follow-through is perfect. He ends up dispatching the ball into the sight screen for another biggie.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, SIX! Up and away! Poor line from Smit, fuller and angling into the pads. Ishan Kishan plants his front leg across, uses the angle of the ball and hoicks it on one knee over deep backward square leg for a maximum.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, Good length, slightly outside off, Kishan waits back and angles it to the right of backward point but can't get it through the infield.

JJ Smit switches ends now, replacing Ben Shikongo. There is a slight pause in play. Ishan Kishan is unhappy with the toe end of the bat and it seems like he has chipped it a bit. He is calling for a change of bat now.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Tilak Varma, Around the off stump, on a back of a length. Tilak stabs it down on the off side. 15 from the over, India are marching!

Ruben Trumpelmann to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Up and over! Full again, outside off, Tilak shimmies down the pitch and stays leg side of the ball to get his hands through the ball. Slams it over covers and picks up a boundary.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Tilak Varma, Full and on off, Tilak firms the drive to extra cover, where the fielder dives to his left but fails to make a clean stop. It allows the batters to run one more.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Trumpelmann errs for the second time in 3 balls and pays the price. Cross-seam delivery, full and on the pads. Tilak glances it fine of the short fine leg fielder for a four. 50 comes up for India.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Ishan Kishan, A bit more effort behind this ball from Trumpelmann. Bashes the hard length, on off. Ishan runs it down to deep third with an open bat face and turns the strike over.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Put away with ease! Trumpelmann sprays a full ball on the pads. Ishan gets low and swats it between short fine leg and deep square leg for a boundary.

Ruben Trumpelmann returns to the attack, replacing JJ Smit. He went for 8 runs in his first over.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, Back to around the wicket, fuller and on middle. Kishan has a big heave across the line but gets it off the inner half. It goes through mid-wicket and towards the deep fielder for a run.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, Shikongo switches to over the wicket and this goes across off, on the back of a length. Ishan tries to cash in on the width but swings too hard. He loses his shape and ends up chopping it down on the deck off an inside edge.

Ben Shikongo to Tilak Varma, Full and on middle, Varma knocks it to the right of mid on and crosses over.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, Better line but still a bit too full, on middle. Ishan drills it to the right of mid on, where the fielder slides to his right and the ball gets parried off his knees towards the mid off fielder. The single was on anyway and the batters completed it.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Easy pickings! Ben Shikongo errs in both line and length. Too full, too straight, on the pads. Ishan needs no second invitation as he plays the pick-up shot over mid-wicket and collects a boundary.

Ben Shikongo to Tilak Varma, Had to hurry! Moving away in the air, on a length, outside off, Tilak steers it to short third. A bit of hesitation but the batters eventually go through for the single. The short third fielder has a shy at the batting end but misses. It would have been interesting had the throw hit the stumps.

Ben Shikongo to continue...

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, Given LBW but successfully overturned! Slanting in, on the fuller side, on the middle and leg. Kishan crouches slightly and has a swipe across the line. Gets hit on the pads and Namibia go up in unison. The finger goes up but Ishan is quick to take the review. There were two sounds, and UltraEdge confirms that the ball grazed the toe end of the blade before hitting the pads.

An immediate review! The bowler appeals for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. Ishan Kishan signals for the review right away. A quick check for the third umpire as UltraEdge shows a big spike as the ball passes the toe end of the bat. NOT OUT!

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Absolutely hammered! Not all that short but enough for Kishan to play the pull. This is around off, scrambled seam delivery, Ishan gets on top of it and swats it between mid-wicket and mid on for four more.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Lovely shot! Smit serves it full, on middle with the keeper up to the stumps. Kishan presents the full face of the bat and creams the drive to the right of mid on for a boundary.

JJ Smit to Tilak Varma, Edgy! Smit keeps it in and around the top of off, Varma gets on his toes and tries to clip it away on the leg side with a closed bat face. The ball nips away a touch to catch the leading edge. It goes along the ground and behind point. Tilak is off the mark with this streaky single.

JJ Smit to Tilak Varma, Angled into the left-hander, on a back of a length. Tilak gets right behind it and stabs it down on the leg side.

JJ Smit to Ishan Kishan, On a back of a length, on off, Kishan angles it behind point and crosses over.

Deafening silence inside the stadium as Sanju Samson throws away another golden opportunity and the Namibian supporters rejoice. Tilak Varma walks in at number 3 for India. A bowling change as well as JJ Smit replaces Ruben Trumpelmann.

Ben Shikongo to Sanju Samson, OUT! CAUGHT! A real soft dismissal, and after being hit for a couple of sixes and a four, Ben Shikongo has the last laugh. Shikongo rolls the fingers down the side of the ball, full and at the sticks. Samson plays the flick half-heartedly and does not go through with the shot. Spoons it straight down the throat of the man at deep mid-wicket. Louren Steenkamp is a few yards in off the ropes, and he makes no mistake. Samson fails to make the opportunity count and he departs after a quickfire knock.

Ben Shikongo to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Nicely done! On a good length, outside off, Samson stays leg side of the ball and extends his hands for the lofted drive over cover for a four.

Ben Shikongo to Sanju Samson, SIX! Sanju Samson is dealing in sixes. This is even bigger. Curving back in again but the line is too straight and it is neither full nor short. Samson picks it up off the pads and parks it way over deep backward square leg for six more. 3 balls, 3 sixes for Sanju.

Ben Shikongo to Sanju Samson, SIX! Picked up, and it goes into the crowd! Suryakumar Yadav enjoyed that shot. Shaping back into the right-hander, on a short of a length, on middle. It sits up to be hit and Sanju whips it over backward square leg for a six.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, In the channel, fractionally short, Kishan stands tall and slaps it to deep point, where Ruben Trumpelmann tidies up. They cross.

Ben Shikongo to Ishan Kishan, A hint of away shape for Shikongo, full and outside off, Ishan firms the drive to cover.

Punches thrown by both teams in the first over of the game. Some tidy bowling and one fine shot from Samson to end the over. It will be Ben Shikongo to bowl from the other end.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Sanju Samson, SIX! An easy swing of the arms, and Sanju Samson is away! Angling across off, on a length. Samson is not entirely to the pitch of the ball but he swings through with a high elbow and tonks it towards the sight screen with a straight bat for a six.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Sanju Samson, Half a shout for LBW but it dies down quickly! A bit of shape back into the right-hander, on a length, on middle and leg. Samson is rapped on the pads while attempting the flick. There were two sounds and there might have been an inside edge.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Sanju Samson, A play and a miss! Another good-length delivery, running across the batter. No feet movement from Samson and he just fiddles with the ball. He is lucky not to nick this one behind.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Sanju Samson, At 140 kph, pushed across the right-hander, fuller than the previous ball. Samson punches it on the up to mid off.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Ishan Kishan, Angled in at the hips, on a back of a length. Kishan turns it behind square leg and gets off the mark with a single.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Ishan Kishan, Much better from Trumpelmann! Closer to the off stump, on a good length. The ball kicks up a bit that catches Ishan by surprise. He fends it down to backward point.

Ruben Trumpelmann to Ishan Kishan, Wide! A bit short and shaping beyond the tramline on off. Kishan thinks about going after it before bailing out of the shot. India are on the board with this extra.

Done and dusted with the pre-match proceedings and it is now time to play. The umpires are out in the middle and so are the players of Namibia. The duo of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan strides out to open the innings for India. Ravi Shastri on-air mentions that Samson is on T20 World Cup debut! The Namibian skipper, Gerhard Erasmus, has the ball in hand and is ready to hand it over to Ruben Trumpelmann, who will get proceedings underway with the ball. Kishan will take strike first up and there's a slip in place to begin with. Let's play...

Time for the anthems - We are just a few minutes away from the start of the match and as usual, there is a sea of 'light' blue in the crowd but there are a few Namibian supporters as well. The officials are out in the middle and so are the two sets of players, who, along with their mascots, line up for the national anthems. It will be the national anthem of Namibia first, followed by that of India.

Namibia (Playing XI) - Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit, Zane Green (WK), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger (In for Dylan Leicher), Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo (In for Willem Myburgh), Max Heingo.

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (In for Abhishek Sharma), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah (In for Mohammed Siraj).

The skipper of India - Suryakumar Yadav says that he would have batted first and is happy with the toss outcome. Adds that as long as they win the game, he has no complaints with losing the toss. Mentions that in a big tournament like this, they know dew is expected to play a big role, but he believes that batting first gives them the confidence they need to go out and defend the total. Informs that Abhishek Sharma is still unwell and he might need a game or two to recover. Sanju Samson replaces him, and Mohammed Siraj makes way for Jasprit Bumrah.

The captain of Namibia - Gerhard Erasmus says that the surface looks flat, and from the statistics and the dew point of view, bowling first is the way to go. Adds that they need to hit their straps with the ball and build some solid stands with the bat. Mentions that they play cricket for these big moments and the excitement. Informs that they have a couple of changes with the extra seamer coming in, and there's also one change in the batting department.

TOSS - Time for the coin to go up in Delhi. Suryakumar Yadav and Gerhard Erasmus have made their way out to the centre. With Suryakumar being the home captain, he will give the coin a flick. Erasmus calls it correctly. Namibia have elected to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Former Kiwi wicket-keeper Ian Smith is inspecting the deck. He starts by saying that there is a slight bias on one side of the square. On one side, it is 59 meters, and on the other, it is 66 meters, and the straight hit is 73 meters, but by a modern batter's standards, those are still quite small. Former English batter Nick Knight joins him and starts by saying that the pitch looks flat and there is a nice sheen on it. Reckons the bounce won't be as true, but the ball will come onto the bat nicely. Adds that there will be a fair bit of turn, and there are a few cracks on it, but those aren't going to open up. Smith ends by saying that dew might be a factor as well.

Conditions check - This will be the first night game of the World Cup at this venue. So far, only one match has been played here in the tournament, an 11 am start involving Namibia and the Netherlands, where the Dutch came out on top. The last time India played a T20I in Delhi, they piled up 221 against Bangladesh, the highest team total recorded in a T20I at this venue. Stay tuned for the toss and team news.

Doing it the Namibian way - 'We will just rock up and do it our Namibian way, which is to fight.' These were the words from the Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus after missing out on the opportunity to train under lights in Delhi in the lead-up to this game. Playing under lights is not something they are used to back home, and it will present a different kind of challenge. If this tournament has shown anything so far, it is that no team can be taken lightly. Namibia boast the highest win percentage among Associate nations against Full Member teams in T20Is, winning 42 per cent of such matches when considering contests involving 10 or more games.

India's tryst with injuries - India's camp has been hit by injuries, and it feels eerily similar to the last home World Cup in 2023. It took a rescue act from Suryakumar Yadav to guide India out of a tricky situation against the USA. On that night, the Indian skipper also reached a significant milestone, winning his 17th Player of the Match award in T20Is for India. That took him past Virat Kohli, who had 16, meaning SKY now holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is for India.

Delhi in focus - In the nation's capital, the defending champions India are set to take on Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The tournament co-hosts will aim to build on their opening win and gather momentum early in the tournament. Namibia, on the other hand, have started the tournament with a defeat, but they arrive here with belief and nothing to lose, a combination that can be dangerous in tournament cricket.

Azzurri script history - Before we shift attention to Delhi, we have to pause and reflect on what has transpired in Mumbai. After the spirited display Nepal produced against England just days ago, where they nearly pulled off an upset, Rohit Paudel and his side were left stunned by a fearless Italian outfit. Despite being without their inspirational leader, Wayne Madsen, Italy were ready for the fight from ball one, whether with the ball in hand or in the field. After bowling Nepal out for 123, the Mosca brothers, Justin and Anthony, stitched together an unbeaten opening stand that took the tournament debutants to their first-ever win in World Cup history. Italy romped home in 12.4 overs, and by doing so, they have given their net run rate a healthy boost. They have overtaken England and now sit third in Group C.

... MATCH DAY ...

The Capital lights up - New Delhi will be in action once again as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2026, continues its non-stop journey. In an exciting Group A clash, the hosts India, will go up against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the 18th match of the tournament. As hosts, the Indians will be playing at all the venues, whereas the Namibians will play their second consecutive game at the same ground before they start hopping across cities. As things stand - Group A is shaping up to be an exciting one. With Pakistan winning two in two, they are at the top right now. Whereas India are second, and if they win this one, it will take them to the top spot and make their case almost confirmed for the Super 8s. The only other team that has put on a decent showing is the Netherlands, who are third currently. Namibia are coming off a stinging defeat to the Dutch, while the Americans have done well in patches, and have had two disappointing defeats, as their campaign is already looking in trouble. A wake-up call - There is no cent of doubt that the Indians will enter this clash as the firm favorites against Namibia. But after what the USA put them through, nothing can be taken for granted, not even against an associate nation. The top order crumbled to 77 for 6, with the big names back in the hut far too early. It took a Suryakumar Yadav special to drag them out of trouble, and their bowlers did the rest. Had either of those things not happened, India would have been staring at one of their most embarrassing results in recent memory. India sweat over key players - India would want to put this one to bed in a far more clinical fashion. With a marquee clash against Pakistan just around the corner, the last thing they need is another nervy, scrambling performance going into the biggest game of the group stage. However, with Abhishek Sharma, their star opener, hospitalized due to a stomach infection, and Washington Sundar still nursing his side tear, India are likely to make certain tweaks in the XI. Sanju Samson gets another opportunity if Abhishek doesn't recover in time, though the Kerala batter will be desperate to make it count after a difficult run that saw him lose his spot to Ishan Kishan. On the brighter side, Jasprit Bumrah looks set to return after missing the opener through illness. That's massive. When he plays, India's bowling attack looks completely different, forming a deadly trio with Arshdeep and Siraj, who has been absolutely clinical so far. Varun Chakaravarthy leads India's wicket-taking charts since the last T20 World Cup and will be expected to be at his best again, with Axar Patel sitting third on that same list after Arshdeep. Namibia aim for a united performance - Namibia's batting fell apart like a house of cards against the Netherlands after a promising start, and their middle order will need to show far more grit and substance against an even stronger opposition. The cream of their batting lies in the top five though. Captain Gerhard Erasmus leads their run-scoring charts since the last edition, with Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton following closely behind. If those four fire, Namibia at least have a fighting chance. Namibia haven't had much exposure against top-ranked T20I sides, to be fair to them. But they can draw some inspiration from their recent win against South Africa in a one-off game, albeit with the Proteas fielding a second-string side. A win is a win, and that belief counts for something. In T20 World Cups, their record reads 11 defeats and just 5 wins, which isn't pretty. But among those wins sits a famous victory over a full-strength Sri Lanka back in 2022, which tells you they are more than capable of causing an upset when the conditions are right and everything clicks.  Recent form (Last 5 T20Is, recent first) - India - WWLWW | Namibia - WWLWL. Numbers crunching - 1. India and Namibia have met just once in T20Is, and that meeting dates back in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup, where India executed a comfortable win in what was one of their most underwhelming campaigns in the history of this competition. 2. At Arun Jaitley Stadium, India have played four T20Is, and have batted first every time, winning two and losing two matches. And on three occasions, they have breached the 200-run mark, where they lost a game against South Africa, failing to defend 211 runs. 3. Overall, out of nine games, the chasing side has won five times, with the team batting first winning on four occasions, making it quite a balanced one. 4. Namibia have lost four of their last five T20 World Cup matches. They tied a game against Oman in the previous World Cup and emerged victorious in the end via Super Over.