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Namibia vs India Match 18 Full Commentary
Result · Feb 12 2026, Thu - 07:00 PM (IST)
NAM 116/10 (18.2)
IND 209/9 (20.0)
India beat Namibia by 93 runs
CRR:6.33
ஆட்டத்தின் சிறந்த வீரர்
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Full and on off, Rinku thumps it down to long on and crosses over.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Full and straight, angled into the toes, heaved down to long on for a single.
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.
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.
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.
That's a wrap, folks! Another day in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026 is done, and we saw three pretty one-sided games today. The matches keep coming thick and fast, though, as there's another triple-header lined up on Friday, 13 February. Things will kick off with a clash between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo. That game will begin at 5.30 am GMT, but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as well. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!
The Indian captain - Suryakumar Yadav says it was a pretty good game for everyone and acknowledges that it was not an easy wicket to bat on. Believes the way Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson started made it appear far simpler than it actually was. Further says that the ball was stopping a bit on the surface. He is quick to add that he does not want to take any credit away from the Namibian bowlers, saying he was very impressed with their effort. After the first six or seven overs, he admits it looked like India would cross 230 or 240, but Namibia pulled things back well. He highlights the big plus of Jasprit Bumrah getting through his four overs, and also praises the way Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy bowl in partnership, making it difficult for the opposition batters. He says it is a big boost for the team to see Hardik Pandya delivering with both bat and ball. While acknowledging that the campaign started a little scratchy, he believes the team is now on the road.
The captain of Namibia - Gerhard Erasmus says that with the Powerplay they had, they felt like they were in with a chance but Varun Chakaravarthy broke the back of the run chase. Adds that the bowlers came back well and cites the example of JJ Smit and they always look to up their game. Mentions that they still have a lot left in the tank and feels they haven't played their best cricket and will look to bounce back in the next game.
Let's now hear from the two captains...
Player of the Match - Hardik Pandya is given the award for his all-round effort of 52 off 28 balls and figures of 4-0-21-2. Pandya says he is just enjoying the sport and that the team had a good couple of months to prepare. He adds that everything is going well. Mentions that he has always taken pride in his batting, and when things come off, it adds more sugar to the cake. Pandya shares that his body has been feeling fantastic, crediting the hard work he puts in, something he truly cherishes. Playing for the country, he reiterates, remains the No. 1 priority. Hardik also reveals that he undergoes an army-like camp a month before a major tournament to get himself physically and mentally ready. Speaking about the bowling unit, he highlights that the side has plenty of options with both pace and spin covered. On the pitches in the tournament, he replies that the last two pitches have not been the most batting-friendly, with the wicket holding up a bit today. Cheekily adds that he would prefer slightly flatter wickets.
Namibia are on the brink - The Eagles are all but out of the tournament as they suffer their second loss of the Group stage. They played some excellent cricket in parts but overall, they will feel they should have done better with both bat and ball. It was a tough start for Namibia with the ball as they were hammered for 86 runs in 6 overs but they did well in the middle phase. Bernard Scholtz and Gerhard Erasmus bowled well and the latter was exceptional with his variations, picking up 4 wickets. They closed things out decently as well but the pacers did concede too many boundaries. With the bat, they lost an early wicket but bounced back in the first 6 overs. The likes of Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp hit a couple of breezy 20s to set the platform but in a big chase, you need a couple of 40s or 50s and not 20s. The middle order succumbed to the pressure and Namibia ended up losing by a big margin.
The jitters have vanished - We saw what happened in India's first game, as they struggled with the bat for quite a while but it seems like the early tournament nerves are gone and the hosts mean business. A 93-run victory, India's biggest in terms of runs in a T20 World Cup and this will give them a lot of confidence heading into the next clash. Also, this is India's 10th consecutive win in the T20 World Cup, the most by any nation. With the bat, Ishan Kishan led from the front with a fiery 61 off just 24 balls. Another quickfire half-century from Hardik Pandya and a few 20s from the middle order got India over the 200-run mark. Still, one feels, India could and probably should have got to somewhere around 220-230. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh handed the hosts an early breakthrough, but they couldn't build on it. After the Powerplay, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy came on and weaved their magic. Varun got a wicket off his very first ball and finished with 3 in total. All 6 bowlers that were used contributed in the wicket column as the likes of Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel also picked up a couple of wickets each.
Massive win for India - After a fine showing with the bat earlier on, India have backed things up nicely with the ball and picked up their second win of the competition. Namibia showed sparks of brilliance, but against a champion side, you need to be switched on for every single ball.
OUT! HIT WICKET! A tame end to the Namibian innings. Full and pushed across off, Zane Green goes deep in the crease and goes for the reverse-batted shot. He swings at it and fails to connect. On the follow-through of the swing, the bat clips the off stump and the stumps light up. Green cannot quite believe it. He stands there for a moment before dropping his head in disappointment. India win by 93 runs and make it two in two.
Dug in short, on middle. Zane pivots on the back foot for the pull but mistimes it to mid-wicket.
Out comes the slower ball, fuller and on off, Max stabs it down on the off side. Hardik ends with figures of 4-0-21-2.
No hat-trick! After picking the last two wickets with full balls, Pandya tries to change it up and he bangs it in short, over middle. Max Heingo hangs on the back foot and defends it watchfully. A wry smile from Hardik as he realises that he should have stuck to the full ball.
Max Heingo is the last batter in for Namibia and he will face the hat-trick ball.
OUT! PLUMB IN FRONT! Ben Shikongo takes the review more in hope than anything else. Hardik keeps the stumps in play with a length delivery. It's a slower off-cutter. Shikongo is caught on the crease and looks to whip it away. The ball stays low and Ben is beaten on the inside edge before being rapped low on the front pad. UltraEdge shows no bat and the Ball Tracking has the ball crashing into the middle stump. Two in two for Pandya and he is on a hat-trick.
Another one bites the dust and the new batter walks out. Ben Shikongo is in at number 10 for Namibia.
OUT! CAUGHT! Hardik Pandya gets himself on the board. Pandya sticks to the pace-off option but this is fuller, on off and middle at 68 mph. Bernard stays leg side and once again, he fails to read the slower ball. He swings early and gets it right off the toe end of the blade. It goes only as far as long on, where Axar Patel takes an easy catch without moving an inch. Hardik gestures a thumbs-up to Axar, and the two exchange smiles.
Not far away from clipping the top of the stumps! Off-cutter, on a good length, on middle. Scholtz exposes all three stumps and looks to work it away on the leg side, but swings early. Luckily for him, the ball balloons over the sticks.
Going across off, on a good length. Zane smears this slower one through mid-wicket for a single.
Bumrah responds with a short ball, following the batter. Bernard gives himself room and mistimes the flat-batted shot to cover.
FOUR! Gets it away! Bumrah goes searching for another yorker, but it comes out as a low full toss, just outside the off pole. Fast hands from Bernard Scholtz as he slices it to the left of the man at backward point for a boundary.
The next batter is Bernard Scholtz.
OUT! BOWLED! Yorker nailed to absolute perfection by Jasprit Bumrah. Seam-up delivery at 89 mph, it lands in the region between the popping crease and the stumps. Ruben Trumpelmann backs away early. He fails to get his bat down in time and the ball scoots under his blade before crashing into the sticks.
Very full, in the blockhole, on middle. Zane jams it out in front of mid off and scampers through for a quick single. Jasprit Bumrah wants Rinku Singh to have a shy but he opts against it.
Hits the hard length, does Bumrah, on middle. Zane is hurried on the pull and he mistimes it to mid-wicket.
Skidding through, on a good length, Green backs away, stands tall on his toes and punches it on the up to cover.
Another swing and a miss! Shivam angles it into the pads, on a length. Trumpelmann does not pick the slower one from Dube and he is early into the swing. He fails to get it away and gets hit on the pads.
Pushes the length up, on off, Green forces the drive to long off for a single.
Shivam digs it in short, on off, Ruben swivels on the back foot for the pull but gets it high on the bat. The ball balloons and drops well in front of long on. Axar Patel does not commit himself to the catch as it was a Free Hit ball and collects it on the bounce. They cross.
NO BALL! Untidy from Dube. He has overstepped again. Very full but sliding down leg, Ruben misses out on the tickle. Free Hit to follow...
A polite enquiry for LBW but turned down! Hang on, India are going for the review. Almost an afterthought from the bowling side. Back-of-the-hand slower one, on a nagging length, on off and middle. Ruben hangs deep in the crease and has a big heave across the line but is undone by the slowness of the ball. The ball catches the batter high on the back thigh. UltraEdge shows no bat but the Ball Tracking has the ball going over the stumps.