The atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was electric as Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, won the toss and elected to field first against India. The decision was met with a roar from the Delhi crowd, though perhaps not for the reason Erasmus intended; the local fans are simply desperate to see India’s explosive batting lineup take center stage under the lights.
Erasmus pointed to the potential for heavy dew later in the evening as the primary factor behind his decision. In night games in Delhi, the moisture often makes the ball skid onto the bat more easily in the second innings, theoretically making a chase much more manageable than setting a target.
Team News: Bumrah Returns and Sanju Samson Gets His Chance
India’s buildup to this fixture was clouded by a few health and injury scares within the camp. The biggest boost for the Men in Blue is the return of Jasprit Bumrah. The pace spearhead finally rejoined the XI for his first appearance of the tournament, taking the place of Mohammed Siraj.
The top of the order also saw a forced shuffle. Abhishek Sharma, who was only recently discharged from the hospital following a bout with a stomach bug, wasn’t quite match-ready. This opened the door for Sanju Samson to reclaim an opening spot, providing him with a massive platform to stake his claim for a permanent role. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar missed out on the final XI despite recovering from a rib injury and training with the squad earlier in the week.
Namibia’s Tactical Shifts for the Delhi Conditions
Namibia didn’t shy away from tweaking their lineup after their previous loss to the Netherlands. They’ve opted for a more pace-heavy attack, bringing in Ben Shikongo to replace legspinner Willem Myburgh. It’s a clear sign that they expect the Delhi surface to offer something to the fast bowlers early on before the dew sets in.
In the batting department, Malan Kruger comes into the middle order in place of Dylan Leicher to provide some extra stability against India’s spin duo of Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy.
Official Playing XIs
India: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
Namibia: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (capt), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger, Ben Shikongo, Bernard Scholtz, Max Heingo.
