Match Preview
After snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the opening fixture against USA, India will now aim to continue their winning momentum in their second match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against Namibia on Thursday, February 12, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Men in Blue were caught off guard by some disciplined bowling from the USA, who had their plans ready to nip India’s ultra-aggressive approach in the bud.
It took a herculean effort from captain Suryakumar Yadav, who slammed an unbeaten 84* (49), smashing ten fours and four sixes to save the hosts’ face. In the second innings, Mohammed Siraj (3/29), Axar Patel (2/24) and Arshdeep Singh (2/18), did a brilliant job to restrict the USA to 132/8.

For Namibia, their campaign started with a seven-wicket defeat against the Netherlands. After being put in to bat first, the Gerhard Erasmus-led side posted 156/8 in their allotted 20 overs. In the second innings, their bowlers couldn’t stop the Dutch from chasing down the target, who got over the line comfortably in 18 overs.
Having lost their first fixture of the tournament, Namibia now find themselves in a precarious position as they now need to win all of their remaining fixtures to stay alive in the tournament, along with a few results also going their way. It would be a herculean task for the Namibians to stun India, but given the unpredictability of T20 cricket and the recent results of the tournament, they can’t be written off.
Match Info
|
Date |
Fixture |
Group |
Venue |
Start Time |
|
Thursday, February 12 |
Match No 18, India vs Namibia |
Group A |
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
7 PM |
Venue Statistics (T20Is)
|
Category |
Details |
|
Total Matches Played |
15 |
|
Matches won batting first |
5 |
|
Matches won bowling first |
10 |
|
Average 1st innings score |
145 |
|
Average 2nd innings score |
134 |
|
Highest total recorded |
221/9 (20 Ovs) By IND vs BAN |
|
Lowest total recorded |
120/10 (19.3 Ovs) By SL vs RSA |
|
Highest score chased |
212/3 (19.1 Ovs) By RSA vs IND |
|
Lowest score defended |
96/7 (20 Ovs) By INDW vs PAKW |
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Pitch Report and Playing Conditions
|
Aspect |
Batters |
Pacers |
Spinners |
|
Overall Assistance |
Good once set |
Decent with new ball |
Good assistance |
|
Bounce |
Decent bounce early |
Satisfactory |
Satisfactory |
|
Movement |
None after powerplay |
Minimal swing upfront |
Decent amount of grip and turn |
|
Best Phase |
Middle and death overs |
Powerplay overs |
Middle overs |
India vs Namibia Head-to-Head record (T20Is)
|
Category |
Details |
|
Matches Played |
1 |
|
India won |
1 |
|
Namibia won |
0 |
India vs Namibia Playing 11 Prediction
India
Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
Namibia
Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Max Heingo
India vs Namibia Players to Watch out for
Ishan Kishan
The opening batter failed to leave a mark in the first fixture at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ishan was struggling to get his innings going against the moving ball. However, given his rich form, he’s expected to bounce back strongly in the upcoming game and score big for his team.
Bernard Scholtz
The 35-year-old bowled an economical spell against the Netherlands, giving away 27 runs from four overs and taking one wicket. Given India’s shaky record against left-arm spinners, Scholtz could come in handy in the upcoming game if he manages to get good purchase out of the pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Today’s Match Prediction: INDIA TO WIN
Disclaimer: This prediction is based on current form, team balance, and available match data. Cricket remains unpredictable, and actual results may vary.



