India registered a commanding 93-run victory over Namibia in their T20 World Cup encounter in Delhi, delivering a dominant all-round performance to outclass the opposition.
Asked to bat first, India posted a formidable total of 209 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. Ishan Kishan led the charge at the top of the order with a fluent 61, while Hardik Pandya provided crucial momentum in the middle overs with a well-crafted 52.
Tilak Varma contributed 25 runs, Shivam Dube added 23, and Sanju Samson chipped in with 22 to ensure India crossed the 200-run mark.
Despite Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus impressing with the ball and claiming four wickets, the rest of the bowling attack struggled to contain the Indian batters on a batting-friendly surface.
Chasing a steep target of 210, Namibia’s batting line-up faltered under pressure from the Indian bowlers. The team found it difficult to build partnerships and keep up with the required run rate. Varun Chakravarthy starred with the ball for India, picking up three crucial wickets to derail Namibia’s chase.
Namibia were eventually bowled out for 116, falling well short of the target as India sealed a comprehensive victory to strengthen their campaign in the tournament.
Earlier, India posted a competitive total of 209/9 in their allotted 20 overs against Namibia, setting a target of 210 for the visitors at the New Delhi stadium.
Ishan Kishan starred for India with a blistering 61-run innings, showcasing exceptional power-hitting with five sixes and six fours. Kishan also recorded the fastest half-century of the match, reaching the milestone in just 24 balls.
Alongside him, Hardik Pandya contributed a crucial 52 runs off 28 deliveries to keep India on course for a formidable total.
Sanju Samson got India off to a flying start, smashing 22 runs off just 8 balls, including three sixes and a four, before being caught. Kishan then partnered with Tilak Verma to stabilise the innings, taking India to 104 before Kishan’s dismissal. Verma managed 25 runs before being dismissed along with Sanjay Kumar Yadav for 12 runs, leaving India at 124 for four wickets.
The middle and late overs saw more fireworks from Pandya, who helped India reach 205 before being dismissed. Shom Dubey added 23 runs, while Axar Patel and Rinku Singh fell at 206, and Arshdeep Singh was the final wicket to fall at 209. Notably, five Indian batsmen contributed just four runs collectively in the final stages.
India now sets Namibia a challenging target of 210 runs, promising an exciting chase in this high-octane T20 contest.
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