India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will play its second match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against Namibia on Thursday, February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Men in Blue won their opening game against USA and will look to double their points tally.
The defending champions started their title defense with a 29-run win at the Wankhede Stadium. They fell to 77/6, but Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 helped India post a competitive total. After this the bowlers successfully defended the target of 162 runs.
Namibia, on the other hand, will play their second match of the tournament when they face Netherlands on February 10. They will have to face a tough challenge against the host team in Delhi.
This article covers IND vs NAM Match No. 18 preview, including pitch report, weather forecast, head-to-head records, probable playing XIs and live streaming details.
IND vs NAM Match No. 18 Preview:
Date and Place:
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium will host the Group A match between India and Namibia on Thursday, February 12.
Squad:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakraborty, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelman, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Lauren Steenkamp, ​​Malan Kruger, Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Jesse Balt, Dylan Leichter, WP Myburgh, Max Hengo.
IND vs NAM Probable XI:
Jasprit Bumrah could not play the first game due to viral fever but he is expected to return. He will probably replace Mohammed Siraj.
India’s playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakraborty, Arshdeep Singh.
Namibia playing eleven: Lauren Steenkamp, ​​Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Malen Kruger, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelman, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Jack Brassell.
IND vs NAM major battle
Abhishek Sharma vs Ruben Trumpelman:
After failing in the first match against America, Abhishek Sharma will be desperate to score runs. He likes to attack with the very first ball.
Ruben Trumpelman is Namibia’s best bowler with the new ball and is known for taking wickets in the early overs of the innings. If Trumpelman gets an early swing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, he could challenge Abhishek’s aggressive approach.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Bernard Scholtz:
Suryakumar Yadav is in tremendous form after playing the match-winning inning of 84* runs in the first match. He dominates the spinners with his sweep shots in the middle overs. Bernard Scholtz is Namibia’s most experienced spinner, known for bowling a tight line and restricting runs in the middle innings.
Gerhard Erasmus vs Jasprit Bumrah:
Gerhard Erasmus is Namibia’s captain and most reliable batsman. He handles the innings and handles the pace well. Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal yorkers and variations of pace will pose a tough challenge for the Namibian captain.
JJ Smit vs Arshdeep Singh:
JJ Smit is known for his big hitting in the death overs. Arshdeep Singh, who is the death overs specialist for India, bowls accurate yorkers under pressure. If the match goes deep, this battle could decide how many runs Namibia scores 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
Free Live Streaming of IND vs NAM in India, Live Telecast:
TV rights in India: Star Sports Network holds the television broadcast rights of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India.
Live Streaming Platforms in India: The match will be live-streamed on Jio Hotstar app and website.
date: This match will be played on Thursday, 12 February 2026.
venue: This game will be held at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm Indian time. The toss will take place at 6:30 pm Indian time.
IND vs NAM Match No. 18 Weather Report, Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report
IND vs NAM Delhi Weather Report:
The weather in Delhi on 12th February will be cool and pleasant for cricket. The temperature is expected to be around 17-14°C. There is no chance of rain, which will ensure a full 40 over match.
IND vs NAM Delhi Pitch Report:
The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium is generally good for batting with short boundaries. However, spinners often get help in the middle overs.
Given the dew factor in North India during February, the captain who wins the toss is likely to bowl first. India have an excellent record on this ground and will try to take advantage of the conditions.
IND vs NAM Head-to-Head Record:
| statistics | Matchbox | IND won | NAM won | N.R. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| overall | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| In T20 World Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
IND vs NAM Head-to-Head Record: Key Stats
India and Namibia have faced each other only once in T20 Internationals, during the 2021 T20 World Cup. India won that match easily by 9 wickets. The Men in Blue will look to maintain their 100% record against the African team.
IND vs NAM – Conclusion:
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will go into the upcoming match as clear favorites after a confidence-boosting win against the United States of America (USA).
The return of Jasprit Bumrah has greatly strengthened their bowling unit. The Indian team management will support the batting lineup to perform well on the batting-friendly pitch of Delhi.
Namibia will face a tough challenge, but they have capable all-rounders like Erasmus and Wiese who can surprise the bigger teams. However, stopping the Indian batting lineup at home will be a huge task.
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