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Gerhard Erasmus, Jay Shah, Mohsin Naqvi. Image Credits: X
Since the first day of the T20 World Cup 2026, the actions are unmissable as the thrills are rising with each passing moment. After facing a heartbreaking defeat against the Netherlands, Namibia are all set to face Team India in their upcoming clash.
Before facing the Men in Blue, they made a huge claim against the BCCI and ICC. Captain Gerhard Erasmus alleged that Namibia were denied a night training slot at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, raising serious questions.
Training session mix-up sparks buzz
Namibia has started a journey in the ongoing tournament with a heartbreaking defeat against the Netherlands, and they shifted their focus to the upcoming match against Team India. After playing their previous game at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium, they are set to return to the same venue once again.
But before facing Suryakumar Yadav and Co., a massive buzz was created over the training sessions. As the upcoming match is going to be an evening fixture, Namibia had scheduled a training session from 2 PM to 5 PM on February 11. But Team India trained from 6 PM to 9 PM on February 10 and 11.
Adding another twist, Canada also got a training slot under the lights, even when their next match against the UAE will start at 3 PM. In contrast, Namibia, who are scheduled to play an evening fixture, were denied the opportunity to practice under floodlights, intensifying the debate.
Namibia captain makes explosive claim before India game
In the ongoing tournament, Namibia will play their only match under the lights against India, as the rest of the encounters are day fixtures. After the training session mix-up, Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus fired shots at this.
“Yeah, we haven't been given a night training [session] before this game, I don't know why. I think India has two night training [sessions] and I see outside that Canada will have a night training now, so make of that what you want, but we'll just rock up and do our Namibian way, which is to fight,” he said.
Why is Namibia desperate for under-lights training?
In the ICC tournaments, Namibia is a regular face, but the country still needs some serious development in their cricketing infrastructure. In Namibia, there is no floodlight facility till now, and that is a major drawback for them. After being denied a training session under lights, Gerhard Erasmus openly explained why that opportunity was crucial for his side.
“We haven't got any [flood]lights in Namibia... the day/night games. Infrastructure wise it's probably the challenge for us, so yeah it's not a casual thing for guys that don't have [experience]... I think barring the guys who played in the Nepal Premier League and the ILT20 and the World Cups that we've played, you don't really get accustomed to lights and training under it very often,” he added.
Team India is set to face Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Men in Blue are coming from a thrilling victory, and Namibia is looking forward to a bounce-back after the recent heartbreak. With both teams hungry for victory, fans can expect another gripping contest.
