India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will play their second match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday, February 12. The Men in Blue registered a victory in their opening game against the USA and will look to double their points.
The defending champions began their title defence with a 29-run win at the Wankhede Stadium. They collapsed to 77/6, but an unbeaten 84 by Suryakumar Yadav helped India post a competitive total. The bowlers then defended the 162-run target successfully.
Namibia, on the other hand, will play their second game of the tournament after facing the Netherlands on February 10. They will face a tough challenge against the hosts in Delhi.
This article covers the IND vs NAM Match No. 18 preview, including the pitch report, weather forecast, head-to-head records, probable playing XIs, and live streaming details.
IND vs NAM Match No. 18 Preview:
Date and Venue:
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the Group A clash between India and Namibia on Thursday, February 12.
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo.
IND vs NAM Probable XIs:
Jasprit Bumrah missed the first game due to viral fever but is expected to return. He will likely replace Mohammed Siraj.
India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
Namibia Playing XI: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Malan Kruger, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Jack Brassell.
IND vs NAM Key Battles
Abhishek Sharma vs Ruben Trumpelmann:
Abhishek Sharma will be eager to score runs after failing in the first match against the USA. He likes to attack from the very first ball.
Ruben Trumpelmann is Namibia’s best bowler with the new ball and is known for taking wickets in the opening over of an innings. If Trumpelmann finds early swing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, he can challenge Abhishek’s aggressive approach.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Bernard Scholtz:
Suryakumar Yadav is in red-hot form after his match-winning 84* in the opener. He dominates spinners in the middle overs with his sweep shots. Bernard Scholtz is Namibia’s most experienced spinner, known for bowling tight lines and restricting runs in the middle phase.
Gerhard Erasmus vs Jasprit Bumrah:
Gerhard Erasmus is Namibia’s captain and most reliable batter. He anchors the innings and handles pace well. Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal yorkers and changes of pace will pose a tough challenge for the Namibian skipper.
JJ Smit vs Arshdeep Singh:
JJ Smit is known for his big hitting in the death overs. Arshdeep Singh, who is death-over specialist for India, bowls accurate yorkers under pressure. If the match goes deep, this battle could decide how many runs Namibia score in the final overs of the match.
IND vs NAM Key Players:
India: Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Ruben Trumpelmann
IND vs NAM Free Live Streaming in India, Live Telecast:
TV Rights in India: Star Sports Network holds the television broadcast rights for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India.
Live Streaming Platform in India: The match will be live-streamed on the Jio Hotstar app and website.
Date: The match will be played on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Venue: The game will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM IST. The toss will take place at 6:30 PM IST.
IND vs NAM Match No. 18 Weather Report, Pitch Report of Arun Jaitley Stadium
IND vs NAM Weather Report of Delhi:
The weather in Delhi on February 12 will be cool and pleasant for cricket. The temperature is expected to be around 17-14°C. There is no chance of rain, ensuring a full 40-over contest.
IND vs NAM Pitch Report of Delhi:
The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is generally good for batting, with short boundaries. However, spinners often get assistance in the middle overs.
Given the dew factor in North India during February, the captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first. India have an excellent record at this venue and will look to exploit the conditions.
IND vs NAM Head-to-Head Records:
| Stats | Matches | IND Won | NAM Won | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| In T20 World Cups | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
IND vs NAM Head-to-Head Records: Key Statistics
India and Namibia have faced each other only once in T20 Internationals, during the 2021 T20 World Cup. India won that match comfortably by 9 wickets. The Men in Blue will look to maintain their 100% record against the African side.
IND vs NAM – Conclusion:
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will enter the upcoming match as clear favourites after a confidence-boosting win against the United States of America (USA).
The return of Jasprit Bumrah adds massive strength to their bowling unit. The Indian team management will back the batting lineup to deliver on a batting-friendly Delhi track.
Namibia will face a tough challenge, but have capable all-rounders in Erasmus and Wiese who can surprise big teams. However, stopping the Indian batting lineup at home will be a monumental task.
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