Rehearsal for the match against Pakistan took place in Delhi. Team India will have to be alert from Usman Tariq!

Posted on 13th Feb 2026 by rohit kumar

The Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defeated Namibia by 93 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, providing a "perfect" preparation for their T20 World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15th. First, Ishan Kishan (61) and Hardik Pandya (52) delivered a blistering batting performance to post a score of 209, and then the bowlers, led by Varun Chakravarthy (3/7), bundled out Namibia for 116.

 

 

Varun Chakravarthy took three wickets, while Hardik and Axar also took two wickets each. After victories over the United States and Namibia, the Indian team is now ready for cricket's biggest match. After a long suspense, Pakistan decided to play India last Monday.

 

 

Ishan and Hardik's brilliant batting

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus chose to bowl. On the flat pitch of the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Ishan and Sanju provided a quick start, but Sanju was dismissed in the second over. Ishan and Tilak Verma (25) then began to thrash the Namibian bowlers, thrilling the spectators in the stadium. Ishan and Tilak smashed 86 runs in the powerplay, the third-highest total in six overs in the T20 World Cup.

 

 

Ishan Kishan's Stormy Innings

Ishan Kishan reached his half-century in just 20 balls, scoring 61 runs in 23 balls. He hit five sixes and half a dozen fours. This is the joint fourth-fastest fifty by an Indian in the T20 World Cup. India crossed the 100-run mark in the seventh over, and with Ishan and Tilak batting, it seemed they could post the highest score of the tournament. But Ishan was dismissed in the eighth over, and this was the end of India's run rate.

 

 

Erasmus took four wickets

Tilak and captain Surya were dismissed early, allowing Namibia to stage a comeback. Hardik took charge and accelerated India's run rate with a 24-ball half-century. He shared an 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (23). India's lower order collapsed after Pandya's dismissal.

 

 

India added only 23 runs in the final four overs, losing five wickets. Namibian captain Erasmus played a key role in this, bowling from well behind the stumps and taking key wickets of Tilak, Ishan, Hardik, and Axar to prevent India from scoring a big total. Erasmus took four wickets, becoming the fourth captain to achieve this feat in the T20 World Cup.

 

 

Sanju failed to capitalize on the opportunity

Sanju Samson was included in the playing XI for this match due to Abhishek Sharma's unfitness. Sanju, who had flopped in the series against New Zealand, had a good opportunity to prove himself here, facing a team like Namibia. However, after a quick start, he was dismissed again due to poor shots. Sanju showed promise of a big innings in his brief eight-ball innings, hitting three sixes and a four, but was caught at mid-wicket off the last ball of the second over.

 

 

Varun's Wrath

Namibia started well, reaching 67 for one in seven overs. Captain Surya handed the ball to Varun, and he dismissed Steenkamp on the very first ball. In his next over, he took two wickets to put Namibia under pressure. Namibia, which had scored 88 runs in the 10th over, could only manage 28 runs in the next 8.2 overs, losing six wickets. Hardik, who had been impressive with the bat, also took two wickets. He dismissed two batsmen in consecutive balls in the 18th over, but missed out on a hat-trick.

 

 

Usman Tariq will have to be on guard.

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus took four wickets in the match, forcing India to be wary of his bowler Usman Tariq in the match against Pakistan. Erasmus bowled side-arm, which is a round-arm, between stock balls. He also bowled from behind the crease at times to reduce the length, preventing the bowler from reaching the pitch of a set Tilak Varma delivery. Like Erasmus, Tariq also bowls side-arm and played a key role in the 3-0 home series win against Australia. Although there are controversies surrounding his bowling action, the Indian team will have to be cautious against him in the current tournament.