IND vs NAM Match 18 Results

5:35 PM IST Player of the Match - Hardik Pandya is given the award for his all-round effort of 52 off 28 balls and figures of 4-0-21-2. Pandya says he is just enjoying the sport and that the team had a good couple of months to prepare. He adds that everything is going well. Mentions that he has always taken pride in his batting, and when things come off, it adds more sugar to the cake. Pandya shares that his body has been feeling fantastic, crediting the hard work he puts in, something he truly cherishes. Playing for the country, he reiterates, remains the No. 1 priority. Hardik also reveals that he undergoes an army-like camp a month before a major tournament to get himself physically and mentally ready. Speaking about the bowling unit, he highlights that the side has plenty of options with both pace and spin covered. On the pitches in the tournament, he replies that the last two pitches have not been the most batting-friendly, with the wicket holding up a bit today. Cheekily adds that he would prefer slightly flatter wickets.

5:33 PM IST The captain of Namibia - Gerhard Erasmus says that with the Powerplay they had, they felt like they were in with a chance but Varun Chakaravarthy broke the back of the run chase. Adds that the bowlers came back well and cites the example of JJ Smit and they always look to up their game. Mentions that they still have a lot left in the tank and feels they haven't played their best cricket and will look to bounce back in the next game.

5:32 PM IST The Indian captain - Suryakumar Yadav says it was a pretty good game for everyone and acknowledges that it was not an easy wicket to bat on. Believes the way Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson started made it appear far simpler than it actually was. Further says that the ball was stopping a bit on the surface. He is quick to add that he does not want to take any credit away from the Namibian bowlers, saying he was very impressed with their effort. After the first six or seven overs, he admits it looked like India would cross 230 or 240, but Namibia pulled things back well. He highlights the big plus of Jasprit Bumrah getting through his four overs, and also praises the way Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy bowl in partnership, making it difficult for the opposition batters. He says it is a big boost for the team to see Hardik Pandya delivering with both bat and ball. While acknowledging that the campaign started a little scratchy, he believes the team is now on the road.

5:31 PM IST That's a wrap, folks! Another day in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026 is done, and we saw three pretty one-sided games today. The matches keep coming thick and fast, though, as there's another triple-header lined up on Friday, 13 February. Things will kick off with a clash between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo. That game will begin at 5.30 am GMT, but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as well. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

5:29 PM IST The jitters have vanished - We saw what happened in India's first game, as they struggled with the bat for quite a while but it seems like the early tournament nerves are gone and the hosts mean business. A 93-run victory, India's biggest in terms of runs in a T20 World Cup and this will give them a lot of confidence heading into the next clash. Also, this is India's 10th consecutive win in the T20 World Cup, the most by any nation. With the bat, Ishan Kishan led from the front with a fiery 61 off just 24 balls. Another quickfire half-century from Hardik Pandya and a few 20s from the middle order got India over the 200-run mark. Still, one feels, India could and probably should have got to somewhere around 220-230. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh handed the hosts an early breakthrough, but they couldn't build on it. After the Powerplay, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy came on and weaved their magic. Varun got a wicket off his very first ball and finished with 3 in total. All 6 bowlers that were used contributed in the wicket column as the likes of Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel also picked up a couple of wickets each.

5:17 PM IST Let's now hear from the two captains...