Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India once again underlined why they are regarded as the most destructive batting unit in the shortest format, riding on blistering half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya to post a formidable 209/9 against Namibia in their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.Kishan set the tone with a breathtaking 61 off just 24 deliveries, mixing brute force with clean timing as he dismantled Namibia’s pace attack in the powerplay. His innings, studded with crisp boundaries and towering sixes, powered India to a staggering 104/1 in just seven overs. Pandya then took over the mantle, striking a muscular 52 off 28 balls, ensuring India maintained momentum despite losing wickets at regular intervals later in the innings.
Namibia, however, found a way to pull things back through their skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who delivered a remarkable spell of unorthodox slingy bowling. Erasmus finished with career-best figures of 4/20, using variations and subtle changes in pace to choke the Indian batters on a surface that offered some grip to the spinners. Alongside Bernard Scholtz, Erasmus applied the brakes through the middle overs, forcing India into errors as they attempted to sustain the scoring rate.Although Pandya staged a late counter-attack to bring up his half-century, India lost five wickets in the final two overs, allowing Namibia to claw back some respectability. From a position where India looked set to breach 220 comfortably, Namibia would take heart from restricting the damage to just over 200.With this innings, India extended their tally of 200-plus scores in Men’s T20 Internationals to 47 — the most by any team. South Africa trail with 29 such totals, followed by New Zealand (28), while Australia and West Indies are joint fourth with 25 each.India’s recent scoring spree has been even more emphatic. Since the T20 World Cup 2024, they have registered 14 totals of 200 or more in T20Is, double the number managed by any other side in the same period. The consistency highlights the depth and fearlessness of India’s batting approach.In T20 World Cup history too, India’s ability to cross the 200-run mark has been a recurring theme. Their notable tallies include 218/4 against England in Durban in 2007, 210/2 versus Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in 2021, 205/5 against Australia in Gros Islet in 2024, and now 209/9 against Namibia in Delhi in 2026.Most 200-plus totals in Men’s T20Is47 – India29 – South Africa28 – New Zealand25 – Australia25 – West IndiesIndia have racked up 14 200-plus totals in T20Is post T20 WC 2024200-plus totals for India in T20WC218/4 vs ENG, Durban, 2007210/2 vs AFG, Abu Dhabi, 2021209/9 vs NAM, Delhi, 2026205/5 vs AUS, Gros Islet, 2024
