Published: Feb 12, 2026, 08:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 12, 2026, 08:40 PM (IST)
India and Namibia are facing off in a Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. Namibia captain won the toss and elected to field first, setting the stage for India to bat in the high-scoring conditions expected at the venue.
India have made two changes to their playing XI for this match.
India have recalled Jasprit Bumrah in place of Mohammad Siraj, while Sanju Samson replaces an unwell Abhishek Sharma in the playing XI. Samson is likely to open the batting or slot in the middle order alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan.
During the toss interview, India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a concerning update on Abhishek Sharma’s fitness.
“Abhishek will still take time to recover fully and may need one or two more matches before he is available for selection,” Suryakumar said.
According to the BCCI’s official statement, Abhishek is still recovering from his illness and was not available for selection in this game. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress.
Abhishek Sharma was admitted to hospital for two days due to a stomach infection following India’s opening match against the USA in Mumbai last Saturday. He was discharged on Wednesday but remains unfit for this game.
In the USA match, Abhishek was dismissed for a duck on the very first ball and did not take further part in the game. Sanju Samson substituted for him in the field. Reports suggest that Abhishek was already feeling unwell during the Mumbai game, and his condition worsened after reaching Delhi.
Namibia captain won the toss and decided to bowl first on a pitch that has favoured high-scoring games so far in the tournament. This gives India the chance to post a big total and put early pressure on Namibia’s chase.
Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
