The 18th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 was played between defending champions India and Namibia. The match was played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Explosive opener Abhishek Sharma was unavailable for the game due to a stomach infection. Sanju Samson replaced him and gave a good start to the team.

A question mark has been put on the return of Abhishek Sharma. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has announced during the toss that Abhishek Sharma is still not well and will be missing a match or two. This means he will be missing the high-voltage match on Sunday against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Abhishek has come back from the hospital, but is feeling weak. He has also lost some weight. In addition, considering that he has a severe stomach infection, time is required for him to recover and build up the energy and power required for top-class cricket.

In Abhishek's absence, Sanju took over as the opener and made a strong start. He scored 22 runs off 8 balls, hitting three sixes and a four. However, he was dismissed in the second over while trying to play a big shot and returned to the pavilion.

India defeated Namibia by 93 runs. Batting first, India scored 209 for nine in 20 overs, thanks to strong half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. In reply, Namibia could only manage 116 for 10 in 18.2 overs. This was India's second consecutive win in the current tournament.