India defeated Namibia by 93 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on February 12, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. India posted 209/9 and bowled Namibia out for 116 in 18.2 overs. This was India’s biggest-ever margin of victory by runs in T20 World Cup history.
Key Stats Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Group A |
| Date | February 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| Toss | Namibia won; elected to field |
| India’s Score | 209/9 in 20 overs |
| Namibia’s Score | 116/9 in 18.2 overs |
| Result | India won by 93 runs |
| Player of the Match | Hardik Pandya |
| India’s Top Scorer | Ishan Kishan – 61 off 24 balls |
| Namibia’s Top Bowler | Gerhard Erasmus – 4/20 |
| Namibia’s Top Scorer | Louren Steenkamp – 29 |
| India’s Best Bowler | Varun Chakravarthy – 3/7 |
Let’s get this out of the way first — when you search for the India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard, you’re looking at a match that wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. A thunderbolt. A big, bold, neon sign that said: “Defending champions are here, and they mean business.”
Picture this: Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on a February evening in 2026. The stands are packed with passionate Indian fans wearing blue. Namibia, bless their hearts, win the toss and decide to field first — perhaps hoping the Delhi wicket would do them some favors. What follows over the next four hours is a cricketing lesson that Namibia’s players won’t forget for a long, long time.
The India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 shows more than just numbers. It tells the story of Ishan Kishan batting like a man possessed, Hardik Pandya doing what Hardik Pandya does best, and India’s bowling attack absolutely dismantling a team that had no answer to the quality thrown at them.
But here’s the thing about cricket — even lopsided scorecards have fascinating stories tucked inside them. Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus, their captain, took 4 wickets and made India pay heavily in the death overs. Their bowlers showed real fight. And for a team of associate-nation cricketers facing the world champions on Indian soil, just showing up and competing is a story worth telling.
So whether you’re hunting for the India vs Namibia scorecard 2026, looking for a breakdown of the India vs Namibia 2026 warm-up history, or just want to relive that Ishan Kishan blitz over and over again — you’ve landed in exactly the right place. Let’s break it all down, ball by ball, player by player, and story by story.
India vs Namibia Head-to-Head
Head-to-Head Summary Table
| Match | Year | Venue | Format | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 World Cup Super 12 | Nov 8, 2021 | Dubai International Stadium | T20I | India | 9 wickets |
| Warm-Up Match (India A) | Feb 6, 2026 | BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru | T20 (Warm-Up) | India A | 130 runs |
| T20 World Cup 2026 Group A | Feb 12, 2026 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | T20I | India | 93 runs |
India has been dominant every single time these two sides have met. But what makes the India vs Namibia 2026 fixture special is that it was played on home soil, with a record margin, and it sent a powerful message ahead of the India vs Pakistan blockbuster.
A Quick Note on Namibia’s Cricket Journey
Namibia is an associate member of the ICC. They’re not your traditional cricketing powerhouse. They qualify for tournaments by punching above their weight in ICC qualification events, and in doing so, they earn the right to share a field with giants. Their players hold day jobs in some cases, train in limited facilities, and still manage to bowl out teams or chase targets against all odds. So while the scorecards may look lopsided, the fact that Namibia keeps showing up, keeps fighting, and keeps taking wickets of top-order batters says something really special about their character.
The Warm-Up Match — India A vs Namibia (February 6, 2026)
Before the big tournament game, there was a warm-up match that gave us an early preview of things to come. The India A cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team warm-up game took place on February 6, 2026, at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru.
This is where the India vs Namibia warm-up match scorecard 2026 comes into the picture.
India A vs Namibia Warm-Up Match Scorecard
India A: 197/8 in 20 overs Namibia: 67 all out in 12.1 overs Result: India A won by 130 runs
India A Batting Highlights – Warm-Up
| Wicket | Batsman Out | Score When Out | Over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Priyansh Arya | 23 | 1.4 |
| 2nd | Urvil Patel | 25 | 2.2 |
| 3rd | Riyan Parag | 136 | 13.1 |
| 4th | Naman Dhir | 137 | 13.3 |
| 5th | Ayush Badoni | 142 | 14.6 |
| 6th | Vipraj Nigam | 147 | 15.3 |
| 7th | Ravi Bishnoi | 165 | 17.2 |
| 8th | Ashutosh Sharma | 190 | 19.3 |
This match showcased some seriously talented players from India’s bench strength. Riyan Parag’s contribution was a highlight, and Namibia were thoroughly outclassed. The India vs Namibia warm up match scorecard 2026 painted a clear picture — Namibia’s bowlers had their work cut out facing India’s depth of talent.
The warm-up defeat didn’t derail Namibia’s spirits, though. Their coach Craig Williams noted that these matches help the team understand where they stand and what they need to work on before the main event.
India vs Namibia T20 World Cup 2026 Full Scorecard
Now, here’s what everyone came for. The big one. The official India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard from February 12, 2026.
India Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | b Shikongo | 22 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 275.00 |
| Ishan Kishan (wk) | c & b Erasmus | 61 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 254.17 |
| Tilak Varma | c Erasmus b Smit | 25 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 119.05 |
| Suryakumar Yadav (c) | b Erasmus | (mid-innings out) | — | — | — | — |
| Hardik Pandya | c sub [Dylan Leicher] b Erasmus | 52 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 185.71 |
| Shivam Dube | run out (Shikongo) | 23 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 143.75 |
| Rinku Singh | c Erasmus b Smit | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Axar Patel | b Erasmus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Arshdeep Singh | run out (Kruger) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 10 (1lb, 9w) | |||||
| Total | 209/9 | 20 overs |
Fall of Wickets:
- 25/1 (Sanju Samson, 1.6 ov)
- 104/2 (Ishan Kishan, 7.1 ov)
- 120/3 (Suryakumar Yadav, 10.1 ov)
- 124/4 (Tilak Varma, 11.5 ov)
- 205/5 (Hardik Pandya, 18.2 ov)
- 205/6 (Shivam Dube, 18.3 ov)
Namibia Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruben Trumpelmann | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Ben Shikongo | 3 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 13.67 |
| JJ Smit | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 | 12.50 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| Bernard Scholtz | (bowled) | — | — | — | — |
Namibia Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louren Steenkamp | (out) | 29 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan Frylinck | (out) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton | (out) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gerhard Erasmus (c) | (out) | — | — | — | — | — |
| JJ Smit | (out) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zane Green (wk) | hit wicket | — | — | — | — | — |
| Others | bowled/caught | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 116/9 | 18.2 overs |
Result: India won by 93 runs.
India Bowling Figures (vs Namibia)
| Bowler | Overs | Wickets | Runs | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varun Chakravarthy | (bowled) | 3 | 7 | — |
| Axar Patel | (bowled) | 2 | 20 | — |
| Hardik Pandya | (bowled) | 2 | 21 | — |
| Jasprit Bumrah | (bowled) | 1 | — | — |
| Arshdeep Singh | (bowled) | 1 | — | — |
| Shivam Dube | (bowled) | 1 | — | — |
Ishan Kishan’s Blistering 61
If you watched the India vs Namibia today match live, you know exactly when the game was over as a contest. It was around the 7th over, when Ishan Kishan was slogging Namibia’s bowlers to every corner of the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Kishan’s 61 off 24 balls — six boundaries and five massive sixes — was the kind of innings that makes grown men spill their tea in shock. His strike rate of 254.17 is not a typo. He came in after Sanju Samson’s quick-fire 22, and within minutes, Namibia had no idea which end to bowl from, where to place their fielders, or frankly, whether to laugh or cry.
India raced to 86/1 at the end of the powerplay — a sensational start.
When Kishan finally fell in the 7th over, caught off Erasmus, the damage was already done. The platform was set, and the platform was essentially a launchpad to the moon.
Kishan vs Namibia — Over-by-Over Carnage
| Over | Bowler | Notable Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trumpelmann | Samson hits two sixes |
| 2 | Shikongo | Samson dismissed, Kishan comes in |
| 3–6 | Various | Kishan takes charge, sixes galore |
| 7.1 | Erasmus | Kishan out for 61 — 104/2 on board |
Hardik Pandya — The All-Round Machine
If Kishan was the opening act, Hardik Pandya was the headliner.
His 52 off 28 balls in the middle-to-late overs was the difference between India posting 180 and India posting 209. And then — because being a half-century scorer apparently wasn’t enough for one evening — Pandya picked up 2 wickets with the ball and was named Player of the Match.
This is what Pandya does. He bats like there’s no tomorrow, bowls with purpose and intelligence, and fields like his life depends on it. The Namibia match reminded everyone watching why this man is India’s most complete cricketer right now.
His innings included 4 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 185.71. In the death overs, Erasmus did brilliantly to restrict India — taking Pandya’s prized wicket — but not before the damage was done.
Hardik Pandya’s Impact — Match Summary
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Batting | 52 runs off 28 balls |
| Strike Rate | 185.71 |
| Boundaries | 4 fours + 4 sixes |
| Wickets | 2 |
| Runs Conceded | 21 |
| Award | Player of the Match |
Namibia’s Bowling — Erasmus Was Exceptional
Now here’s where we give credit where it’s absolutely due. The India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard would look even more one-sided if not for Gerhard Erasmus.
Namibia’s captain, batting and bowling from the front, was simply magnificent with the ball. 4 wickets for just 20 runs in 4 overs — that is a world-class spell by any standard, in any format of cricket. He dismissed Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya.
His 4-wicket haul also meant that India, who were threatening to get close to 280–300 at one stage, were pegged back. India losing wickets in a cluster — 4 wickets for just 6 runs in the death — was entirely Erasmus’s doing.
Here is Erasmus’s bowling card in full glory:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerhard Erasmus | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
For a man captaining an associate nation against the defending champions, on their home turf, this is a performance worth framing.
India’s Chase-Killing Bowling — Varun Chakravarthy Steals the Show
Namibia’s chase started promisingly. They reached 67/1 in 7 overs and briefly made fans wonder if an upset was brewing. Then came Varun Chakravarthy, India’s mystery spinner, and the match was over within minutes.
Chakravarthy took 3 wickets in his very first 10 balls. When a spinner does that against a batting lineup already under pressure, it’s like turning off a light switch. Namibia went from 67/1 to crumbling rapidly, eventually being dismissed for 116 in 18.2 overs.
Zane Green, Namibia’s wicketkeeper-batter and perhaps their best run-scorer, was dismissed in a particularly unlucky way — hit-wicket — in the final stages.
India’s bowling attack shared the wickets beautifully:
| Bowler | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Varun Chakravarthy | 3 | Very low (approx 3.5/over) |
| Axar Patel | 2 | — |
| Hardik Pandya | 2 | — |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 1 | — |
| Arshdeep Singh | 1 | — |
| Shivam Dube | 1 | — |
The bowling display was clinical, disciplined, and varied. Every time Namibia looked to build a partnership, a wicket fell. And the Indian crowd went absolutely ballistic with every dismissal.
Records Broken in This Match
The India vs Namibia scorecard 2026 didn’t just tell the story of a win — it told the story of history being made.
Records Tumbled in IND vs NAM 2026
| Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Biggest T20 WC win by India (by runs) | 93-run margin — surpassing previous bests |
| Fastest half-century in this T20 WC edition | Ishan Kishan — 61 off 24 balls |
| India’s highest powerplay score in T20 WC | 86/1 in 6 overs vs Namibia |
| Erasmus’s 4-wicket haul | Best bowling figure by a Namibia captain vs India |
India captain Suryakumar Yadav summed it up after the match: “It was not an easy wicket to bat on. I think it was a pretty good game for everyone.”
That’s the captain’s way of saying “we dominated but we acknowledge the pitch helped neither side equally.” Classic SKY.
India vs Namibia — The 2021 T20 WC Connection
To truly understand the India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard story, you need to go back to 2021.
In November 2021, India and Namibia met for the very first time in T20 International cricket. The venue was the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and the occasion was the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 stage.
India, already eliminated from contention, still played hard and won convincingly — by 9 wickets. This was Virat Kohli’s last game as India’s T20I captain and Ravi Shastri’s final match as head coach.
Namibia batted first and managed 132/8. David Wiese was their only batter to score more than 25 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took 3 wickets each. Jasprit Bumrah bagged 2.
Chasing 133, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were unstoppable. Rohit scored 56 before falling; Rahul remained unbeaten. India won in the 16th over without losing a second wicket.
2021 vs 2026 — Comparison Table
| Aspect | 2021 (Dubai) | 2026 (Delhi) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | T20 WC Super 12 | T20 WC Group A |
| Result | India won by 9 wkts | India won by 93 runs |
| India Captain | Virat Kohli | Suryakumar Yadav |
| India Top Scorer | Rohit Sharma (56) | Ishan Kishan (61) |
| POTM | KL Rahul | Hardik Pandya |
| Namibia’s Best Bowler | Jan Frylinck | Gerhard Erasmus (4/20) |
| India’s Best Bowler | Jadeja & Ashwin (3 each) | Varun Chakravarthy (3/7) |
Playing XIs — Who Was on the Field?
India Playing XI
- Sanju Samson
- Ishan Kishan (wk)
- Tilak Varma
- Suryakumar Yadav (c)
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Rinku Singh
- Axar Patel
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
Notable Absence: Abhishek Sharma — India’s regular opener — was recovering from a stomach infection and was hospitalized ahead of the match. He had been discharged the day before but was not fit enough to play. Sanju Samson stepped in as an opener alongside Kishan.
Namibia Playing XI
- Louren Steenkamp
- Jan Frylinck
- Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton
- Gerhard Erasmus (c)
- JJ Smit
- Zane Green (wk)
- Ruben Trumpelmann
- Dylan Leicher
- Malan Kruger
- Bernard Scholtz
- Ben Shikongo
Namibia made two changes for this match, bringing in Ben Shikongo and Malan Kruger.
Venue Breakdown — Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
The Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla) is one of the oldest and most storied cricket grounds in India. Located in the heart of Delhi, it has hosted legendary Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is over decades.
Venue Quick Stats
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| City | New Delhi |
| Capacity | ~41,820 |
| Pitch Type | Generally spin-friendly in later overs |
| Floodlights | Yes |
| Matches Hosted in T20 WC 2026 | Multiple Group A games |
India captain Suryakumar Yadav noted that the pitch was not easy to bat on — a tip of the hat to a surface that did assist bowling at various stages. That makes India’s 209-total and their bowling figures even more impressive.
India’s Broader T20 WC 2026 Campaign Context
The Namibia match didn’t exist in a vacuum. It was India’s second match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Their first game was against the USA, where they had an early scare before captain Suryakumar Yadav bailed them out.
After the Namibia win, India sat on top of Group A with four points, ahead on net run-rate over Pakistan — who also had four points from two games. The two giants were set to clash in Colombo on February 15.
India’s Group A Standings After IND vs NAM
| Team | Played | Won | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2 | 2 | 4 | Very high (post-93-run win) |
| Pakistan | 2 | 2 | 4 | Lower than India |
| Other teams | — | — | — | — |
The 93-run win did wonders for India’s net run rate — a crucial tiebreaker in group stages. Suryakumar’s team had essentially given themselves the best possible cushion before the high-pressure Pakistan game.
What the IND vs NAM Cricbuzz and ESPNcricinfo Pages Showed
For fans tracking the IND vs Namibia Cricbuzz page or the ESPNcricinfo live scorecard, the match unfolded in a series of dramatic phases:
Phase 1 (Overs 1–6 — Powerplay): Total carnage. Samson and Kishan took Namibia apart. India: 86/1.
Phase 2 (Overs 7–12 — Middle Overs): Wickets fell. India seemed to be losing their way briefly. Tilak Varma steadied with 25.
Phase 3 (Overs 13–20 — Death Overs): Hardik took charge and India reached 209. Erasmus brilliant — 4 wickets including a memorable cluster.
Phase 4 (Namibia’s Chase, Overs 1–7): Namibia surprisingly watchable! 67/1 at the end of 7 overs. Steenkamp (29) giving India a brief scare.
Phase 5 (Namibia’s Collapse): Varun Chakravarthy arrived and took 3 in 10 balls. Match over as a contest. Namibia crumbled to 116/9 in 18.2 overs.
The IND vs Namibia Cricbuzz scorecard updates during the match showed fans a rollercoaster that never really threatened India but kept the game interesting enough for the neutral viewer.
Expert Insights — What This Match Tells Us
What India Got Right
1. Explosive Openers: With Abhishek Sharma absent, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan showed what depth India has. Two batters stepped in as “replacements” and still posted a powerplay of 86/1. That is elite batting depth.
2. Middle-order Firepower: Hardik Pandya at No. 5 is like having a nuclear weapon in your middle order. His 52 off 28 balls in the death overs was not luck — it was calculated, fearless aggression.
3. Mystery Spin: Varun Chakravarthy’s 3 wickets in his first 10 balls showed why he is such a dangerous weapon in T20 cricket. Batters simply don’t know what he’s going to bowl next.
4. All-round Quality: India took wickets with 6 different bowlers. That variety makes them almost impossible to plan against.
What Namibia Did Well
1. Erasmus’s Bowling: A 4/20 spell against India’s batting lineup is genuinely world-class. Erasmus is a captain who leads by example.
2. Early Chase: 67/1 in 7 overs showed Namibia can bat — they just couldn’t sustain it against India’s spin.
3. Shikongo’s Wicket: Ben Shikongo’s early breakthrough (Samson) showed Namibia’s bowlers can trouble anyone in the powerplay.
The India A vs Namibia Timeline — Journey to the 2026 WC
The India A cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team timeline is a short but meaningful one:
- February 6, 2026 — India A met Namibia in a warm-up game at BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. India A batted first and posted 197/8 in 20 overs. Namibia were bowled out for just 67 in 12.1 overs. India A won by 130 runs.
- February 12, 2026 — The main national teams clashed in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group A game. India won by 93 runs.
This timeline shows that Namibia had minimal preparation advantage — they had already faced India’s A-team bowling just six days before the main match. Yet to their credit, they competed harder in the actual tournament game, reaching 67/1 before collapsing.
Namibia’s Story — Respect the Journey
In all the excitement around India’s dominant performance in the India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard, it would be genuinely unfair not to acknowledge Namibia’s incredible cricket journey.
Namibia is ranked among the top associate cricketing nations in the world. Their players don’t have the benefit of IPL contracts, massive cricketing academies, or billion-dollar boards behind them. And yet, they have qualified for multiple T20 World Cups and gone toe-to-toe with teams from the ICC’s top tier.
Their captain, Gerhard Erasmus, is not just a cricketer — he is a symbol of associate cricket at its best. A man who bowls with heart, bats with fight, and leads his team with pride. His 4-wicket haul against India was one of the finest individual bowling performances of the T20 WC 2026 tournament’s opening stages.
Coach Craig Williams before the match said Namibia would “like to pose a challenge” against the pre-tournament favourites. They did pose a challenge. They just couldn’t sustain it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What was the final score in the India vs Namibia T20 World Cup 2026 match?
A: India scored 209/9 in 20 overs. Namibia were bowled out for 116 in 18.2 overs. India won by 93 runs. This is the official India national cricket team vs Namibia national cricket team match scorecard result.
Q2. Who was the Player of the Match in India vs Namibia 2026?
A: Hardik Pandya was named Player of the Match for his all-round display — 52 runs off 28 balls with the bat and 2 wickets with the ball.
Q3. Where can I find the IND vs Namibia Cricbuzz scorecard?
A: The full scorecard was available on Cricbuzz, ESPNcricinfo, and the ICC website shortly after the match concluded on February 12, 2026. You can search “IND vs NAM T20 WC 2026 scorecard” on any of these platforms.
Q4. What was the result of the India A vs Namibia warm-up match 2026?
A: In the India vs Namibia warm-up match scorecard 2026, India A posted 197/8 in 20 overs and bowled Namibia out for 67 in 12.1 overs. India A won by 130 runs. The match was played on February 6, 2026, at BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru.
Q5. How many times have India and Namibia played each other in cricket?
A: As of the T20 World Cup 2026, India and Namibia have met three times in official matches — once in the T20 WC 2021 (India won by 9 wickets), once in the India A warm-up match in February 2026 (India A won by 130 runs), and once in the T20 WC 2026 Group A game (India won by 93 runs). India have won all three encounters.
Q6. Did India break any record in their win over Namibia in 2026?
A: Yes! India’s 93-run victory was their biggest-ever margin of victory by runs in the history of the T20 World Cup. It was also one of the largest margins of victory in T20 World Cup history overall — a genuine record-breaking performance.
