IND Win by 93 Runs | India vs Namibia Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026 Match 18: Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel Shine As Men in Blue Notch Second-Straight Win

WIN! India claimed the match by a massive 93-run margin and went on top of the Group A points table. Indians spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel spun a web around Namibian batter during Namibia's chase of 210, clinching five wickets between themselves. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, however, stole the limelight scoring a half-century and picking two wickets in India's second-straight T20 World Cup 2026 win. 

Indian spinners have managed to dent Namibia's surge, who were going great on 85 for 2 to 94 for 6. Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each, dismantling Namibia's middle-order, who looked to hand the Men in Blue a tough fight. 

The fall of Louren Steenkamp's wickets has not deterred Namibia's spirits, with batters Gerhard Erasmus and  Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton keeping their side in hunt. Namibia are maintaining a run-rate, which is matching the required run-rate, and have ensured India remains under pressure. 

The fall of Louren Steenkamp's wickets has not deterred Namibia's spirits, with batters Gerhard Erasmus and  Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton keeping their side in hunt. Namibia are maintaining a run-rate, which is matching the required run-rate, and have ensured India remains under pressure. 

The fall of Jan Frylinck's wicket has barely stopped Namibian batters from scoring runs. Arshdeep Singh, in particular, has been taken apart by Louren Steenkamp and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, with the pair adding 24 off 14 balls for the second wicket. 

OUT! Arshdeep Singh gets the final laugh and dismisses Jan Frylinck. After getting hit for back-to-back fours, Frylinck perishes trying to hit a slower delivery, which caught the bottom of the bat, only for the ball to be lobbed into the hands of the deep midwicket fielder. 

Hardik Pandya starts proceedings for India and gives only 2 runs in the over.  This is still a batting pitch in Delhi, and Namibian openers Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp will hope to make merry against the pacers. 

India will have to thank Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya for propelling the Men in Blue past the 200-run mark, despite Gerhard Erasmus claiming a four-wicket haul and exposing the hosts' batting unit. India's batting is yet to click as a unit, and are relying on individual brilliance to score runs. 

FIFTY! Hardik Pandya slams a fifty in merely 27 balls, which included four fours and as many sixes. Pandya has already added 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube, ensuring India goes past the 200-run mark.

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have gotten their eyes all set, and the beligerent has started. Both took apart Bernard Scholtz for 24 runs in the 15th over, signalling the start of Men in Blue's onslaught after a few mild overs after the fall of a few wickets. 

OUT! Gerhard Erasmus is making all the difference here, picking his second wicket in as many overs. Tilak Varma raced down the track and miscues his shot straight into the fielder at long-off.  Once again India are undergoing a collapse, much like USA. 

OUT! Bernard Scholtz into his second over, and gets the big fish Suryakumar Yadav on the first ball. Yadav came down the track, but the ball straightened and went past the batter's bat, which the keeper collected and stumped the Indian captain.

OUT! Captain Gerhard Erasmus into the attack, and managed to dismiss the dangerous Ishan Kishan. Kishan blew away Namibian bowlers, scoring 61 off 24, before getting out to Erasmus, trying to go over the deep mid-wicket fielder. 

FIFTY! Ishan Kishan brings up a half-century in merely 20 balls, which includes 28 runs in the last final powerplay over. This is Kishan's eighth T20I fifty, and his second in the last three internationals for India. 

India have started their innings with a bang, with all their batters taking the aggressive route. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma have already added 33 runs in 18 balls, with both batters cumulatively hitting six boundaries. 

OUT! Ben Shikongo has the final laugh, as Sanju Samson falls on the last ball of the over, which went for 17 runs. Samson got deceived by the slower, and went early into his flick shot, which saw the ball lob into the hands of the fielder. 

A new opening pair for India, Ishan Kishan, is joined by Sanju Samson, who is replacing Abhishek Sharma in the XI. Samson is the second-oldest Indian player to make his T20 World Cup debut. A decent over by Ruben Trumpelmann to start the proceedings for Namibia. 

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

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

India have made two changes, Abhishek Sharma misses out, while Sanju Samson comes in, and Jasprit Bumrah replaces Mohammed Siraj in XI.