this 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup The thrilling journey of defending champion continues India bear Namibia In Game 18 of the Championship. This Group A match, played at Delhi’s historic Arun Jaitley Stadium, marked a major turning point for the Men in Blue. After a hard-fought victory, USA In the opener, India enters this match as heavy favorites. However, the buzz before the game wasn’t just about the standings; The highlight is the sudden change in the Indian line-up. During the toss, fans were surprised to see two key names, Abhishek Sharma and Mohammed Sirajabsent from the starting lineup.

Why did Abhishek Sharma and Mohammed Siraj not play in today’s match?

Captain reveals the mystery behind team selection Suryakumar Yadav In the process of tossing. Namibia won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision influenced by the looming threat of dew. Suryakumar was unfazed, pointing out that India would want to bat first no matter what. He provided a medical and tactical update as he addressed the big questions surrounding the missing players.

Abhishek Sharma The absence is a major blow to the top order. The young star emerged on the shortest schedule but was sidelined due to a stomach infection. There were reports that Abhishek was briefly hospitalized after the team arrived in Delhi earlier this week. Although he has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering well, the team management has decided not to risk his health.

“Abhishek is still not good; he will miss a game or two” Suryakumar confirmed during the toss. This opening position has now been handed over to Sanzhou Samsonwhose explosive batting style is similar to Abhishek’s, ensures that Powerplay remain aggressive.

In terms of bowling, missing Mohammed Siraj It’s more a question of team rotation and the return of legends. Siraj joins the team at the last minute Harshit RanaDespite the injury, he had a great first game. However, with Jasprit Bumrah The ‘King of York’ has reclaimed his place after recovering from missing the opener due to a viral fever. Siraj made way for Bumrah in a move believed to be to give the pace spearhead much-needed match practice ahead of the high-pressure clash against Pakistan scheduled for February 15.

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Starting lineups of both teams

India: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Namibia: Lauren Steenkamp, ​​Jan Freylink, Jan Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Maran Kruger, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Troepelmann, Bernard Scholz, Ben Schkongo, Max Heingo

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