India has taken a thoughtful step in the T20 World Cup 2026 because the team is constantly worried about injuries. Ahead of their next match against Namibia, the Indian cricket team has reportedly decided to cancel its scheduled practice session in Delhi on February 9.
The Men in Blue made a positive start to their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a comfortable 29-run win over USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7. Their next game is against Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Injury concerns force Indian cricket team management to be cautious
He does not want to work hard in practice for this game. In fact, India has already suffered a big blow with the exclusion of young fast bowler Harshit Rana from the T20 World Cup 2026. Rana suffered a right knee injury during the practice match against South Africa on February 4 and has now been ruled out of the mega event. Mohammad Siraj was included in the team in his place.
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There are other fitness concerns, too. Jasprit Bumrah could not play in the opening match against America due to illness, which has raised new concerns about India’s pace attack. On a positive note, Washington Sundar has been declared fit and is expected to join the team in New Delhi soon.
India cancels practice ahead of Namibia clash in T20 World Cup 2026
Young batsman Tilak Verma has also recently returned after recovering from surgery in early January. Many players have either recovered or are fully fit, so the Indian cricket team management does not want to take any risks during the tournament.
To avoid further injuries and manage the workload, the decision was taken to skip practice ahead of their group clash against Namibia in Delhi. “Team India will not have a practice session in Delhi tomorrow,” a journalist revealed on Twitter. However, Namibia began training in Delhi.
Team India will not have a practice session in Delhi tomorrow.
– Pratyush Raj (@pratyush93_raj) 8 February 2026
Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Siraj saved India
Meanwhile, India were put under pressure by USA in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 but still managed to win by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The co-hosts got off to a disastrous start after being invited to bat first on Saturday.
In the power play their score became 46 runs for 4 wickets. Abhishek Sharma was out on the very first ball, while Shadley Van Schalkwyk created big trouble by taking three wickets in a single over. USA bowlers held the position and did not allow India to score freely.
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At that time, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stood strong and played a brilliant innings. He remained unbeaten on 84 off 49 balls and helped India reach 161/9 on a difficult pitch. Van Schalkwyk was America’s best bowler with 4 wickets for 25 runs.
Gautam Gambhir praised Suryakumar Yadav’s innings
Chasing the target, USA fought hard but could only manage 132 runs for 8 wickets. Mohammed Siraj led India’s bowling attack with 3 wickets for 29 runs. After the win, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Suryakumar’s innings under pressure in Mumbai.
