Defending champions India made it two wins from two matches at the T20 World Cup with a 93-run victory against Namibia in Delhi.
India were stifled by the Namibia bowlers through the middle overs and at the death but they still managed to put 209-9 on board, thanks to a blistering 61 from 24 balls from opener Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s half-century.
In their reply, Namibia were 86-2 in the 10th over when Varun Chakravarthy, who registered figures of 3-7 from two overs, dismissed Nicol Loftie-Eaton and JJ Smit and they failed to recover as they were bundled out for 116 in 18.2 overs.
India had made a fast start through an eight-ball 22 from Sanju Samson, who came into the starting line-up in the absence of the explosive Abhishek Sharma.
But it was Kishan who hogged the limelight with a quickfire half-century, which included him smashing four consecutive sixes in the fifth over from Smit, to help India surge to 86-1 after six overs – their highest powerplay score at a T20 World Cup.
The wicketkeeper-batter brought up his fifty from just 20 balls before departing at the start of the eighth over leaving India at 104-2.
But Namibia’s finger spinners Gerhard Erasmus and Bernard Scholtz slowed down the home side’s innings dramatically, conceding just 30 and picking up three wickets in six overs, with captain Erasmus standing out with figures of 4-20.
Pandya’s 28-ball 52 helped India regain control but they were unable to capitalise at the death, losing five wickets for just four runs in the final 11 balls as their charge towards a much bigger total was stalled.
Openers Louren Steenkamp, who hit 29 from 20 balls, and Jan Frylinck, who hit a 15-ball 22, gave Namibia a good start but they were no match for India’s strong bowling line-up, with Pandya also recording 2-21 with the ball.
Both teams are back in action on Sunday. While India prepare for their highly anticipated meeting with Pakistan in Colombo, Namibia will face the United States in Chennai.