New Delhi: India stepped up preparations for their 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup clash against Namibia with a full training session under lights at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, two days before the Group A league-stage fixture.
There was encouraging news for the hosts as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah bowled at full tilt, showing no signs of the illness that kept him out of the opening match against the United States of America (USA) in Mumbai last week. Bumrah initially eased into his run-up before sending down a fiery spell to captain Suryakumar Yadav. He operated for around 25 minutes and looked sharp throughout.
But left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma skipped the session as he continues to recover from an upset stomach, leaving his availability uncertain for Thursday’s game. The left-hander had featured against the USA in Mumbai but fell for a duck and has been battling illness since. With Wednesday’s practice still to come, it remains to be seen if he will be rushed back into the team or not.
Suryakumar and Tilak Varma appeared in commanding touch, particularly against wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Suryakumar slog-swept him behind square with ease, while Tilak launched a towering six that landed in the top tier, drawing admiration from his India teammates.
Sanju Samson, who has lost his place at the top of the order to the dynamic, batted for over half an hour against the fast bowlers. He began tentatively but grew in confidence, lofting Hardik Pandya over extra cover and flicking Arshdeep Singh with authority.
Samson later looked far more assured against spin, stepping out to Varun and Axar Patel, a promising sign given Namibia’s tendency to use left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz in the powerplay, especially if Abhishek is unavailable to play.
Off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, returning from a side strain and rib injury, took part in fielding drills and later bowled alongside Kuldeep Yadav to Varma. He was seen in long discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, as the team continues to monitor his recovery.
Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya batted later in the practice session. With Bumrah back to full rhythm, Washington easing into the set-up, and Abhishek still on the mend, India’s think-tank faces key selection calls ahead of Thursday’s match against Namibia – fortunately, they have a day to decide on their playing eleven.
(IANS)
