NEW DELHI โย Defending champions India delivered a commanding all-round performance Thursday, thrashing Namibia by 93 runs in their T20 World Cup group-stage clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Sent in to bat, India piled up 209/9, powered by Ishan Kishan’s explosive 61 off 24 balls and Hardik Pandya’s 52 off 28. The pair’s 81-run fifth-wicket stand rescued the innings after a brief middle-order wobble.
Namibia’s chase started promisingly at 67/1 after seven overs, but the dismissal of Louren Steenkamp (29) triggered a spectacular collapse. The Eagles lost their remaining eight wickets for just 49 runs, bundled out for 116 in 18.2 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Axar Patel and Pandya claimed two each. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Shivam Dube picked up one apiece.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus was the sole bright spot for his side, taking 4/20 with the ball, but his decision to field first backfired spectacularly.
The result keeps India’s campaign on track as they build momentum heading into the tournament’s later stages. They next face arch-rivals Pakistan on February 15 in what promises to be a blockbuster encounter.
