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Defending champions India eased past Namibia by 93 runs in New Delhi to register two wins from two matches at the T20 World Cup.
The hosts posted a massive 209-9 in the innings, with Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan leading with 52 and 61 runs respectively, which was too much for Namibia, who were bowled out for 116 despite posting 86-2 at one stage.
India top Group A and are in a good position to qualify for the Super 8 stage and face arch-rivals Pakistan – whose boycott proposal has been scrapped – in Sunday’s match in the most high-profile game of the World Cup so far.
India is the defending T20 World Cup champion and hopes to defend the title on home soil
Opener Kishan’s 61 off 24 deliveries got off to a bright start for India, who posted 86-1 in the powerplay, their highest score of the tournament so far, setting the stage for a big score after Namibia elected to bat first.
Spinner Gerhard Erasmus posted a career-best 4-20 from four overs to take India back to 124-4 in 11.5 overs, but Pandya fought back with an 81-run partnership with Shivam Dube (23).
Pandya hit four sixes and four fours and his half-ton kept his team in firm control. Namibia needed a run rate of 10.45 to match India’s score.
Varun Chakravarthy celebrates with Ishan Kishan after taking the wicket of Namibia’s Nicol Loftie-Eaton
The African nation started well, posting 67-1 after seven overs, but their innings collapsed after the introduction of Varun Chakravarthy, with the spinner taking 3-7 in two overs, including Namibia’s top run-scorer Louren Steenkamp (29) in the eighth over.
Pandya, who also excelled with the ball, took 2-21 from four overs and ended the match with Ben Shikongo LBW out to ensure India’s victory with less than two overs remaining.
