In Match 18 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, defending champions India will take on Namibia today, February 12, 2026, at 7 PM at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
India will try to improve their batting when they face Namibia, following a nail-biting 29-run victory against the USA in their T20 World Cup opener. The hosts were rocked early on, falling to 46/4 and then 77/6, before skipper Suryakumar Yadav‘s unbeaten 84 stabilised the innings and took them to a respectable total. The bowlers then ensured there were no late snags, with Mohammed Siraj taking three wickets and Arshdeep Singh two.
On paper, the battle against Namibia seems to be mostly one-sided, especially as India’s pace attack is likely to challenge an inexperienced batting team. Despite Siraj’s impressive performance, Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled with full energy in the nets, is expected to return to the XI. Abhishek Sharma, who was hospitalised with a stomach problem, has been discharged but is unlikely to play considering the short turnaround and the forthcoming match against Pakistan. After extensive net practices, it surely looks like Sanju Samson is poised to open the innings.
Namibia enter the game after a seven-wicket loss against the Netherlands, when promising beginnings failed to translate into significant runs. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s 42 helped them reach 156/8, but it wasn’t enough. Gerhard Erasmus’ team is set to field the same XI, and they showed positive purpose in their afternoon training session. However, with little training under lights and no match-eve session in such settings, they confront an additional obstacle. However, as Erasmus put it, Namibia would “rock up and fight” in their own manner.
Head-to-Head:
India lead the head-to-head with one victory to Namibia’s nil in just one T20I clash.
Where to Watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: JioHotstar
