Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan has issued a fresh warning to the defending champions, the Men in Blue, ahead of their Pakistan clash in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. India crushed Namibia in Delhi by putting 209 runs on the board and bowling them out for 116.
Gerhard Erasmus exposes India’s spin trouble
It looked like a perfect night, but it exposed a serious weakness. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus shook the Indian batting with his strange bowling action. Neither Erasmus bowled fast nor mystery balls, but his side-arm style and high release point created trouble.
The ball stopped a bit on the pitch and did not come nicely onto the bat, resulting in Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel becoming the bunny of the Namibia captain. Erasmus finished with four wickets for just 20 runs in his four overs.
Read Also: Anil Chaudhary clears the air on dead-ball drama involving Gerhard Erasmus in India-Namibia game
Irfan Pathan sounds big warning before the Pakistan clash at T20 World Cup 2026
That spell sparked worry in the Indian camp. After India’s 93-run win over Namibia on February 12, Irfan Pathan raised a serious red flag. He feels India still struggles against unusual spinners. Even Pathan reminded how Ajantha Mendis once shocked India when he first arrived on the world stage.
Irfan Pathan said in a video, as quoted by Sportskeeda, “If we see the negatives, Abhishek Sharma‘s absence is a worry. Abhishek’s presence is crucial, but even when he returns, the game time he gets will be less. Secondly, India’s struggle against spin is worrying. Historically, India has struggled against unorthodox spinners.
Ajantha Mendis troubled India when he first emerged and troubled even the best batters. In this game, Erasmus took four wickets. He bowled with a high release point and with his front arm. Erasmus wasn’t bowling the carrom ball but only utilized the finger spin. He was offbeat and went on to take four scalps.”
Read Also: ‘Yashasvi Jaiswal is exceptional’: Sanju Samson in big trouble as Pakistan clash twist looms
Pathan urges urgent spin fix before Pakistan clash
Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal has also raised questions. When spinners attack with different angles and pace, Indian batters very often lose control. On slow pitches, this weakness can become dangerous for the defending champions, felt the former World Cup winner.
The bigger worry is that India will now travel to Colombo for the Pakistan match on February 15, where pitches are assisting the spinners in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
And Pathan urged the Indian team management to pay attention to this area as they are heading into the crucial phase of the tournament. He further noted, “Suryakumar Yadav lost his wicket to a left-arm spinner and struggled as the ball turned slightly.
Spinners got five batters out, and it means we must concentrate on playing spin well. India struggled against South Africa’s spinners in the Test series. When the ball grips, they don’t play that well even in white-ball cricket. They must focus on that. There was a slight turn on offer, and India must focus on improving their skill.”
Irfan Pathan hails Sanju Samson’s bold approach and backs him if Abhishek Sharma fails to recover
Additionally, Pathan hailed Sanju Samson’s positive batting despite his dismissal for 22 runs after facing only 8 balls against Namibia. He explained that when a player returns to the team after being dropped, he usually feels nervous, and most batters try to play it safe.
But Samson did not play safe and started hitting fours and sixes, and Pathan said that this shows he was confident and not scared. The cricket pundit also said Samson’s mindset looked clear, so, if Abhishek Sharma is still not fit, the Kerala star should continue as an opener for India.
