New Delhi: India proved to be too strong for Namibia as the fancied hosts crushed their opponents by 93 runs in a T20 World Cup match here on Thursday.
Opener Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya struck belligerent half-centuries to power India to 209 for nine after being asked to bat first.
Ishan blazed away to a blistering 24-ball 61, and Pandya smashed 52 off 28 balls while sharing a partnership of 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (23 off 16 balls).
Kishan smashed the daylights out of a club class Namibia attack to score a 24-ball-61 but Indian batters struggled against Gerhard Erasmus’ side-arm off-breaks before posting 209 for 9 in a group league fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
Kishan muscled five sixes and half a dozen boundaries for a 20-ball-50 that set the foundation for a marauding Hardik Pandya (52 off 28 balls) to take the team to a total that looked beyond the reach of this Namibian batting line-up.
If Sanju Samson’s three-sixes innings was akin to a short-lived Instagram reel, Kishan’s batting was a gripping web series, full of drama, action, and anticipation.
Chasing a stiff 210 target, Namibia got off to a brisk start, but a lethal bowling attack from India bundled out the visitors on 116 in 18.2 overs as India continued their winning run in this World Cup.
