🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026:M18: India vs Namibia, Delhi 🏏 - Page 4

Oldest at the time of maiden T20 WC appearance (India)

31y, 117d - Amit Mishra vs PAK, Mirpur, 2014

31y, 93d - Sanju Samson vs NAM, Delhi, 2026

31y, 40d - Suryakumar Yadav vs PAK, Dubai, 2021

31y, 2d - Ashish Nehra vs AFG, St. Lucia, 2010

30, 358 - Lakshmipathy Balaji vs AFG, Colombo RPS, 2012

Blistering start expected: There's a nice sheen on the pitch and the ball should come on nicely to the bat. It's a small ground, the pitch is good, and the fireworks are ready with India batting first. Abhishek's absence might be felt though and it lowers the expected powerplay score by a few runs. But they should still get more than 60.

Namibia have won the toss and have opted to field

Suryakumar Yadav: We were looking to bat first. Very happy with it. As long as we are losing the toss and winning the game, we are fine with it. It's a big tournament and this dew is going to be a big factor, but when you bat first and go out and defend, I think it gives you a lot of confidence. It's a very good wicket. Hopefully, batters go out, enjoy themselves. Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two. Sanju comes in, similar batter, explosive. Bumrah comes in for Siraj.

Gerhard Erasmus: We are going to have a bowl. We think it is a very, very good flat cricketing surface, from a statistics and dew point of view it is the right thing to do. Yeah, I think it's about tightening up our skill set. I thought we perhaps didn't hit our straps with the ball the other day, and in the batting front, get some big partnerships. It looks like a very good wicket, so in that second half, try and chase down the target. Yeah, at the end of the day, that's why we do it. That's why we play cricket, to entertain and to have fans around, and I haven't seen many more in our stadiums than this, and it's lovely to play in India.. We have two changes - we are bringing an extra seamer, so Shikongo comes in and one batting change, Kruger comes in.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Namibia (Playing XI): Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus(c), JJ Smit, Malan Kruger, Zane Green(w), Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Max Heingo

The players are making their way out to the middle. Sanju gets another opportunity and Ravi Shastri informs it is going to be his maiden T20 World Cup game. Can he make it count? Ishan too missed out in the previous game and will look to make amends. Trumpelmann has the new ball and is at top of his mark. Mind you, Namibia haven't trained at nights and will need to adjust quickly to the floodlights. One slip in place. Here we go..

The two teams walk out to the middle with the match officials. The national anthem is being played out - first Namibia's followed by India's.

Ishaan and Sanju at the crease.

India Innings

0.6 Trumpelmann to Samson, SIX runs

Launched over the sightscreen. A serene downswing from Samson, through the line, straight bat. No footwork again, but this ball was a touch fuller and just outside off.

Namibia opt to bowl

IND

8-0 (1)

CRR8

Suresh Kumar: Golden oppurtunity for Sanju. He has to make it count. Else, it will be an end for his Team india career.🧿🧿🧿