India proved to be too strong for Namibia as the fancied hosts crushed their opponents by 93 runs in a T20 World Cup match here on Thursday.
Opener Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya struck belligerent half-centuries to power India to 209 for nine after being asked to bat first.
Ishan blazed away to a blistering 24-ball 61, and Pandya smashed 52 off 28 balls while sharing a partnership of 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (23 off 16 balls).
Using plenty of variations, Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus returned excellent figures of 4/20 from four overs.
In reply, Namibia were bowled out at 116 in 18.2 overs. While some of the Namibian batters got starts, they could not translate them into big knocks.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy ended with fine figures of 3/7 in 2 overs.
Earlier, India crossed 100 in the seventh over with Ishan looking in imperious touch while reaching his 50 in just 20 balls.
India, however, lost five wickets for just four runs towards the end.
This was India’s second successive win in the tournament.
Brief scores:
India: 209/9 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 61, Hardik Pandya 52; Gerhard Erasmus 4/20).
Namibia: 116 all out in 18.2 overs (Louren Steenkamp 29; Varun Chakravarthy 3/7).
Spinners shine as Italy bowl out Nepal for 123
Crishan Kalugamage picked three crucial wickets as Italy bowled out Nepal for just 123 runs in 19.3 overs in their second match of the T20 World Cup 2026 played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Coming to bat after losing the toss, Nepal were off to a bad start as their top batter, Kushal Bhurtal, who was struggling to get runs from the start, got out in the second over, scoring just five runs off the ten balls he played.
After a poor start, skipper Rohit Paudel and Aasif Sheikh forged a 41-run partnership off just 30 balls to take Nepal’s score to 46 at the end of the powerplay.
Italy finally made the comeback just after the power play as they dismissed both the batters in a span of three balls. Rohit scored 23 runs off just 14 balls before edging out Crishan Kalugamage in the last ball of the seventh over, while Aasif scored 26 runs off 21 balls before being sent to the pavilion by Ben Manenti in the next over.
After the double blow, Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh built a 41-run partnership to take the team ahead. The duo didn’t take any risks at the start as they focused on singles and doubles to put pressure on the opposition. As they decided to break through by hitting the boundary, Italy again made a comeback with the wickets of Dipendra and last match hero Lokesh in the span of just five balls.
Dipendra scored 17 runs off 18 balls, while Lokesh managed to hit just three runs. Aarif helped the team cross the 100-run barrier but got out just after the team reached the three-figure mark. He scored 27 runs off 24 balls and hammered three boundaries. Karan KC scored an unbeaten 18 runs off just 11 balls but could not finish the innings as the team got all out with three balls remaining.
For Italy, Kalugamage was the most successful bowler, as he took three wickets while giving out just 18 runs. Ben Manenti also took two wickets in four overs. JJ Smuts, Ali Hasan and Jaspreet Singh also got one wicket each.
Brief scores: Nepal all out for 123 in 19.3 overs (Aasif Sheikh 27, Rohit Paudal 23; Crishan Kalugamage 3-18, Ben Manenti 2-9) against Italy.
Sri Lanka decimate Oman to clinch 105-run win in Group B clash
Sri Lanka produced a commanding performance to beat Oman by 105 runs in their Group B clash at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Batting first, the hosts posted a daunting 225/5, powered by aggressive half-centuries from Pavan Rathnayake (60 off 28), Kusal Mendis (61 off 45), and captain Dasun Shanaka (50 off 20). Shanaka’s quickfire fifty, the fastest by a Sri Lankan in T20Is, featured five sixes and two fours, while Rathnayake’s maiden T20I fifty and Mendis’ steady innings ensured Sri Lanka maintained momentum throughout.
Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start with Kamil Mishara hitting early boundaries, though Oman struck back by dismissing him for 8. Pathum Nissanka and Mendis rebuilt the innings before Nissanka fell lbw, leaving Sri Lanka at 58/2. Rathnayake and Mendis accelerated the scoring with calculated partnerships, and the late surge from Shanaka and Kamindu Mendis propelled the hosts to a massive total.
Chasing 226, Oman struggled from the outset. Top-order wickets of Aamir Kaleem (6) and Jatinder Singh (1) within the first two overs set the tone for a difficult chase. Despite a resilient 53* from Mohammad Nadeem, Oman’s innings lacked partnerships. Wasim Ali’s 27 off 20 provided brief resistance, but Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling, including two wickets from Dushmantha Chameera (2-19) and crucial breakthroughs from Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage, dismantled the chase.
Run-outs and tight fielding further hindered Oman, who eventually finished at 120/9. Sri Lanka’s comprehensive victory highlighted their intent and firepower, sending a strong statement in the group stage while keeping their campaign on track for the knockout rounds.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 225/5 in 20 ov (Kusal Mendis 61, Pavan Rathnayake 60, Dasun Shanaka 50; Jiten Ramanandi 2-41) beat Oman 120/9 in 20 ov (Mohammad Nadeem 53*, Wasim Ali 27; Maheesh Theekshana 2-11, Dushmantha Chameera 2-19) by 105 runs.