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India defeated Namibia by 93 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday and registered their second win of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Ishan Kishan played an important role in India's win, and former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan was quick to acknowledge his batting prowess.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Irfan Pathan analysed Kishan's knock and Namibia's tactics. "He (Kishan) plays the short ball really well and has a lot of time while playing it. He looked very confident. Since his comeback, he has scored a lot of runs in domestic cricket, and he carried that form here. The only thing I was disappointed with in Namibia's bowling was that they didn't make him play enough on the off side. If you look at the wagon wheel, the majority of his runs came on the leg side, starting from long-on, and that's his strength. He plays to his strengths to great effect. Now that he has worked on his offside game as well, even if you try to challenge him there, he'll be ready. But you have to challenge batters, and Namibia's bowlers didn't do that. He took full advantage." Put in to bat, India rode on explosive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya to post a formidable 209/9. Kishan blazed his way to 61 off just 24 balls, while Pandya hammered 52 from 28 deliveries. Namibia began their chase positively, reaching 57/1 at the end of the Powerplay and briefly putting the Indian bowlers under pressure. However, the momentum shifted dramatically once the spinners were introduced. Varun Chakaravarthy delivered a decisive spell, picking up 3/7 in two overs, while Axar Patel (2/20) and Hardik Pandya (2/21) tightened the screws. Namibia were eventually bowled out for 116 in 18.2 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory. With two wins in two matches, India sit atop Group A, level on points with Pakistan but ahead on net run rate. Now, the onus is on India's much-anticipated clash against Pakistan on Sunday. Destructive opener batter Abhishek Sharma missed the match due to a stomach infection and is expected to return in the final XI for the Pakistan fixture. JioStar expert Abhishek Nayar underlined Abhishek Sharma's impact in the Powerplay. "In the Powerplay, you know what he can do against spin; he loves playing spin. His strike-rate against both spin and pace is high, and he loves using his feet. Interestingly, his reputation always precedes him because you expect him to do something special. As a bowler, that changes your mindset completely. In T20 cricket, especially in unfamiliar conditions, you can't go in with premeditated notions that the ball will turn or behave a certain way. You need to assess the situation, be aware, and adapt. Over the last two years, this team has done so many things right. They shouldn't worry too much about the conditions; they should focus on playing what's in front of them." Sanju Samson opened the batting for India in Sharma's absence and made a quick 22 off just eight balls. He may open the batting for India against Pakistan on Sunday if Sharma remains unavailable. (ANI)
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