New Delhi, Feb 12 (NationPress) Remarkable half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya propelled India to a total of 209/9 in their 20 overs during the Group A encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday. This came despite a stellar performance from Namibia's skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who achieved career-best bowling figures of 4-20.

Kishan's explosive innings saw him score 61 runs off just 24 balls, while Pandya added 52 runs from 28 balls. Erasmus utilized his unique bowling style to control the Indian batting threat on a pitch that offered some assistance to spin bowlers. India raced to 104/1 in merely seven overs, with Kishan particularly aggressive against the pace attack before succumbing to Erasmus’s first delivery of spin.

The duo of Erasmus and Bernard Scholtz formed a solid partnership in the middle overs. Although Pandya attempted to stabilize the innings with a late fifty, India lost five wickets in the last two overs, allowing Namibia to recover from a position where India looked set to score a significantly higher total.

India's innings commenced with Ruben Trumpelmann testing Kishan with bounce and seam. However, Sanju Samson quickly asserted his dominance, hitting the final ball of the first over for six. The fireworks truly began in the second over as Samson dispatched Ben Shikongo for two sixes and a four over extra cover.

Shikongo, however, had the last laugh as Samson was caught at deep midwicket after misplaying a slower ball. Kishan continued to keep the momentum going by driving and pulling JJ Smit for boundaries, while also finding the fence against Shikongo and Trumpelmann. The sixth over was a display of pure aggression, with Kishan smashing four sixes in five balls and reaching his fifty in just 20 balls.

This impressive display meant that India’s Power-play score of 86/1 is the highest recorded in this competition's six-over phase. After reaching their hundred in only 6.5 overs, Namibia’s counterattack began when Erasmus had Kishan mistiming a pull shot.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav struggled against Erasmus's unusual deliveries and was stumped for 12 after facing Bernard Scholtz. Erasmus claimed his second wicket when Tilak Varma mis-hit to long-off, leaving India at 124/4 in 11.5 overs.

Pandya and Dube initiated a rebuilding phase, cautiously playing against spin until Pandya broke free with a towering six off Scholtz, followed by a boundary against Trumpelmann.

Dube also made an impact with a massive 107-meter pull shot off Scholtz, while Pandya continued to impress with a six over long-off. Scholtz's final over yielded 24 runs, due in part to wides and misfields.

Pandya then welcomed Shikongo in the 16th over by hitting a six down the ground and following up with two boundaries. After Dube sent a yorker from Smit past third man, Pandya reached his fifty in 27 balls with a six over cow corner.

Despite crossing the 200-mark, India faced another wobble: Pandya misplayed a full toss to deep square leg, leading to his dismissal via a juggling catch. Dube was run out from a sharp throw by Erasmus, and Axar Patel was bowled out by a well-delivered slower ball from Erasmus. With Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh falling in the final over to Smit, India missed the chance to cross 210.

Brief scores:

India: 209/9 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 61, Hardik Pandya 52; Gerhard Erasmus 4-20) against Namibia