Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan made history for India in the T20 World Cup on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a fifty in the tournament’s history. Coming into bat as an opener against Namibia, Kishan played a blazing knock of 61 off just 24 balls, having smashed six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of over 250.
His explosive innings helped India post a big total of 209 for 9 in 20 overs.Namibia had won the toss and chose to bowl, but India’s batters quickly took control. Sanju Samson gave a quick start with 22 off eight balls, while Tilak Varma added 25 and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 12. Hardik Pandya also played a crucial role, scoring 52 off 28 balls to keep the momentum going, while Shivam Dube made 23.Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus was the standout bowler, picking up four wickets and slowing India down in the middle overs. Despite losing a flurry of wickets late in the innings, India still crossed the 200-run mark, thanks mainly to Kishan’s early assault and Pandya’s power-hitting.Kishan’s fifty was special not just for the runs, but for the record it created. No Indian wicketkeeper had ever scored a half-century in a T20 World Cup before, making his innings a milestone moment. His aggressive approach in the powerplay set the tone for India’s innings and put Namibia under pressure from the start.India’s strong batting display, led by Kishan’s historic knock, gave them a commanding total to defend and marked a memorable moment in India’s T20 World Cup campaign.
