India register massive victory vs Namibia as Italy rout Nepal

Wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed 3-7 as defending champions India thrashed Namibia by 93 runs in their Group A clash in the Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

India posted 209/9 in their 20 overs, powered by Ishan Kishan’s blistering 61 off 24 balls and Hardik Pandya’s 52 off 28 balls. Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus was the pick of their bowlers, returning figures of 4-20 with his slingy style and myriad of variations.

Namibia’s chase began brightly with Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck attacking in the powerplay, but Chakravarthy’s spell dismantled their middle order. Every Indian bowler chipped in with at least a wicket as Namibia were bowled out for 116 in 18.2 overs. The 93-run margin is also India’s biggest victory in Men’s T20 World Cup history, underlining their dominance despite occasional lapses in the match.

Namibia’s chase began with Jan Frylinck taking a four and six off Hardik Pandya, before driving and pulling Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries. But Arshdeep struck back in the fourth over as Frylinck miscued a knuckle ball to deep mid-wicket. Louren Steenkamp carved Arshdeep for two boundaries and a six slashed over the short third, as Namibia ended Power-play at 57/1.

After Namibia milked 10 runs from Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over, Varun Chakaravarthy turned the game in the eighth over - his first ball was a googly that castled Steenkamp for 29. Loftie-Eaton and Erasmus tried to rebuild, but Varun’s accuracy kept them quiet.

Though Axar Patel was greeted with back-to-back slog-sweeping sixes from Gerhard Erasmus in the ninth over, Varun returned to dismantle Namibia further - having Loftie-Eaton hole out to long-off, while castling JJ Smit with another googly.

Axar joined the wicket-taker charts when Erasmus holed out to long-off and then had Malan Kruger top-edging a sweep to short fine leg, who managed to hang on to the ball at the last moment. Bumrah, who came in for Mohammed Siraj, nailed a yorker on the base of off-stump to castle Ruben Trumpelmann, while Hardik bagged two scalps and Shivam Dube had Zane Green dismissed via hit wicket to help India get their tenth consecutive win in the T20 World Cups.

Historic win for Italy

Italy earned a momentous maiden cricket win at the T20 World Cup when they stunned Nepal by 10 wickets.

Brothers Anthony and Justin Mosca sealed the victory with an unbeaten stand for 124-0 after Nepal was bowled out for 123 at iconic Wankhede Stadium.

Italy’s first win in only their second match at a global cricket tournament was also only the eighth 10-wicket victory in men’s T20 World Cup history.

Italy joined the Netherlands as the only two non-British European teams to win a game in the T20 World Cup.

Nepal, at their third T20 World Cup, was riding high after giving England a mighty scare at the same venue on Sunday.

But Sri Lanka-born wrist spinner Crishan Kalugamage picked 3-18, including captain Rohit Paudel, to help shoot out Nepal with three balls to spare.

The Sydney-raised Mosca brothers hit nine sixes and eight boundaries - Anthony was 62 not out off 32 balls and Justin 60 not out off 44 - to dismantle the Nepal attack in just 12.4 overs.

Earlier, captain Dasun Shanaka broke his own record for the fastest Twenty20 half-century for Sri Lanka as they crushed Oman by 105 runs in Pallekele.

Later, co-host and defending champion India took on Namibia in New Delhi.

Shanaka’s 19-ball 50 along with Kusal Mendis’ 61 and Pavan Rathnayake’s 60 against a weak bowling attack propelled Sri Lanka to a tournament-best 225-5.

Oman labored to 120-9 in reply, the wickets shared by five bowlers. Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana led with 2-11 off four overs.

Sri Lanka has two wins from two games but was yet to meet Group B rivals Australia and Zimbabwe.

Oman’s 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem became the oldest man to score a half-century in the history of the T20 World Cup with an unbeaten 53 from 56 balls. Nadeem was one of the only two Oman batters to reach double figures with Wasim Ali scoring 27.

Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishra inside the power play but Rathnayake and Mendis featured in a brisk 94-run third-wicket stand off 52 balls.

Shanaka smacked five sixes to surpass his previous Sri Lanka record of a 20-ball half-century against India in 2023 before he holed out at long-off of the very next ball.

Agencies