Unstoppable India Ease Past Namibia To Stay Perfect At T20 World Cup 2026

India beat Namibia in Match 18. [Source - AFP Photos]

India continued their dominance in the T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding win over Namibia by 93 runs in Match 18. Backed by a passionate Delhi crowd, the Men in Blue delivered a clinical all-round performance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, February 12.

Here, we take a look at the complete highlights of Match 18 of the T20 World Cup 2026 between India and Namibia, as the action unfolded in Delhi.

Ishan  Kishan’s carnage tear apart Namibia in explosive powerplay

Asked to bat first by Namibia, India came out blazing with Sanju Samson, who replaced the unfit Abhishek Sharma, making an instant impact, smashing three consecutive sixes at the start of his innings, but couldn't continue for long as he fell for 22 off just eight balls, giving India early momentum.

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma then took control, keeping the boundaries flowing with ease. Namibia brought back JJ Smit for a breakthrough, but Kishan went berserk, smashing four sixes in a row and collecting 28 runs in the final over of the powerplay as India raced to 86 for 1 after six overs.

Erasmus leads stunning comeback as Namibia restrict India to 209

Ishan Kishan brought up his half-century in just 20 balls and continued the assault after the powerplay. Desperate for a wicket, Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus introduced himself and struck immediately, dismissing Kishan off his first ball. Bernard Scholtz’s left-arm spin then applied pressure and slowed the scoring rate.

Namibia’s spinners pulled things back near the halfway mark. Suryakumar Yadav tried to lift the tempo but was stumped, while Tilak Varma also fell soon after. With wickets falling, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube rebuilt calmly before attacking Scholtz in his final over, smashing 24 runs.

India looked set for close to 240, but Namibia’s death bowling turned the tide. Erasmus returned brilliantly, claiming three wickets in one over to complete a four-wicket haul. Pandya completed his half-century but failed to finish big as Namibia conceded just 25 runs in the last four overs, restricting India to 209 in 20 overs.

Namibia’s fearless powerplay sets the tone in 210 chase

Chasing a mammoth 210, Namibia made a fearless start, racing to 57 for 1 in the powerplay. Jan Frylinck set the tone with crisp strokeplay before falling, while Louren Steenkamp kept the tempo high, putting Indian pacers under early pressure with regular big shots.

Jasprit Bumrah was introduced after the powerplay but even he failed to give India the breakthrough as Namibia refused to back down. With the early momentum secured, the chase stayed alive, but India were yet to unleash their spinners, their most potent weapon in this format.

Spin storm sees Namibia collapse as India cruise to victory with ease

With Namibia flying at 57/1 in the powerplay and negotiating the Indian pacers confidently, Suryakumar Yadav turned to Varun Chakravarthy. The mystery spinner struck with his very first ball and added two more in his next over, dismantling the middle-order and bringing India back in control.

Captain Gerhard Erasmus soon perished to Axar Patel as panic spread into Namibia’s chase. Indian spinners completely changed the game within five overs, tightening the screws and forcing errors. After a promising start, Namibia spiralled dramatically, losing wickets in clusters under relentless pressure.

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya cleaned up the tail as Namibia collapsed to 116 all out, slipping from 86/2 in stunning fashion. India sealed two straight victories to begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. Varun Chakravarthy’s three wickets in two overs proved the defining, match-winning spell.