Will Abhishek Sharma not play against Pakistan either? Surya statement during the toss against Namibia
India and Namibia played their first T20 World Cup match today (February 12) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. While there was considerable suspense regarding India's playing XI,
India and Namibia played their first T20 World Cup match today (February 12) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Before this match, there were questions about the playing of several players.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and elected to bowl first. He considered chasing the target a better strategy, considering the Delhi surface and the dew factor. The Indian team saw two changes in this match. Mohammed Siraj and Abhishek Sharma, who was admitted with a stomach infection, were ruled out of the match. Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson replaced them.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stated at the toss that the team wanted to bat first and was happy with the decision. He added lightly, "As long as we can win matches after losing the toss, we have no problem." Suryakumar acknowledged that the tournament is a big one and dew will play a significant role, but batting first and defending the score gives the team confidence. He believes the wicket is quite good and the batsmen can play their shots freely.
Surya explained how long Abhishek Sharma will be out of action
Speaking on Team Combination, Suryakumar Yadav stated at the toss that Abhishek Sharma is not fully fit yet and will miss a match or two. Sanju Samson has been given a chance in his place. Jasprit Bumrah has also returned to the fast bowling attack, replacing Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said it was a "very flat cricketing surface," and considering the statistics and dew conditions, bowling first seemed the right choice. He is focused on honing his skillset. He said the wicket looks good and the team will try to chase the target in the second half. Namibia has made two changes for this match. Ben Shikongo has been included in the team, while Malan Kruger has been included as an extra batsman.
Here is a look at #TeamIndia's Playing XI for our 2⃣nd match 🙌
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 12, 2026
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/SQLoaZjq98#T20WorldCup | #MenInBlue | #INDvNAM pic.twitter.com/Ah1xPZAxZ6
India's playing XI for the Delhi T20: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Namibia's playing 11 for the Delhi T20: Lauren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), JJ Smit, Jan Green (wicketkeeper), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, and Max Hengo.
India's full squad for the T20 World Cup: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
Namibia's full squad for the T20 World Cup: Lauren Steenkamp, Jan Frylink, Jan Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wicketkeeper), Ruben Trumpelman, Dylan Leichter, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Max Hengo, Malan Kruger, Ben Shikongo, Jack Brasel and Jan Balt.


