India crush Namibia to register biggest win in T20 WC

India made it two in two with a comprehensive 93-run victory over Namibia, their biggest in T20 World Cups (by runs), in Delhi on Thursday (February 12). Ishan Kishan's explosive 61 and Hardik Pandya's excellent all-round performance (52 & 2-20) helped India achieve this. After being asked to bat first, India posted a formidable 209 for 9 with the help of the two half-century runs. India received a significant increase in their NRR as a result of Namibia's poor response against spin in the middle overs. Kishan and Sanju Samson, India's new opening duo, immediately showed their intent, scoring 22 off just eight balls with three sixes and a boundary before falling to Ben Shikongo in the second over. As Kishan unleashed a brutal assault on the Namibian attack, his departure had no effect on the momentum. In just 20 balls, Kishan reached his half-century, highlighted by four sixes in a row against JJ Smit in the PowerPlay's final over. By the end of their first-six, India had raced to 86 for 1. Kishan kept finding boundaries at will, resulting in the fastest team century in Men's T20 World Cup history in the seventh over. Namibia clawed their way back into the game in the middle overs. With his first delivery, Gerhard Erasmus bowled the dangerous Kishan out for 61 off 24 balls, and Bernard Scholtz bowled Suryakumar Yadav out for 12. When Erasmus also removed Tilak Varma for 25, India had slipped from 104 for 1 to 124 for 4. Pandya and Shivam Dube, on the other hand, put the ship on course with a partnership of 81 runs for the fifth wicket. Dube contributed a solid 23, including a massive 107-meter six, while Pandya was particularly aggressive, hitting four sixes and four boundaries to reach 52 off 28 balls. The final two overs saw a dramatic shift as Namibia regained control through disciplined death bowling just as India appeared to be on track for 230 or more. Erasmus turned the tide in the 19th over by bowling Axar Patel for a golden duck and dismissing Pandya. During the same chaotic period, Dube was run out. Smit ended the innings by getting rid of Rinku Singh and running out Arshdeep Singh on the last ball. Despite losing five wickets for just 10 runs in the closing stages, India's early explosive power ensured a competitive target of 210 in which Erasmus stood out with figures of 4 for 20. The chase started off well, but Namibia also fell apart against spin, dropping from 67 for 1 to 94 for 6 in 32 deliveries. Chakaravarthy and Axar took all five wickets. After facing a quiet first over from Pandya, Jan Frylinck picked up a four and six off him in his next before hitting Arshdeep Singh for back-to-back boundaries. The Indian, on the other hand, won the game when they got the dangerous-looking batter to miscue a clever slower pitch after he hit a 22 on 15 balls. Arshdeep paid for his opening partner Louren Steenkamp's 17-run final PowerPlay over, which included two fours and a six. Chakaravarthy hit Steenkamp with his first pitch, casting him out at 29 when he arrived on the opposite side of the PowerPlay. Erasmus dealt Axar some early blows with a few maximums before finally holing out to long-off off the spinner in his next over. Namibia lost two more crucial wickets to Chakaravarthy in the interim. Smit was wiped out by a second googly as Loftie-Eaton holed out to long-off. Axar scored his second with a sharp catch by Bumrah off Malan Kruger that he initially misjudged and overran. In this phase, the two spinners went 5 for 27, sucking up all of the momentum and leaving little room for speculation regarding the outcome. After the death, the pacers came back to clean the tail. Ruben Trumpelmann was defeated by a flawless Yorkie named Jasprit Bumrah. After removing Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo in consecutive deliveries of his final over, Max Heingo prevented Pandya from completing a hat trick by going 2 for 21. When Zane Green attempted to reverse and struck his own stumps with the bat, Dube also eventually scored. India won by a significant 93 runs after Namibia collapsed for 116. Each of the six bowlers used by the hosts took at least one wicket, with Chakravarthy (2-0-7-3) leading the charge.