As India prepares for its important ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against Namibia, former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath has raised concerns about India’s performance in their first game against the USA. He indicated that the defending champions might have been overly confident.
Badrinath discussed India’s performance in the group stage and noted that the team may have shown too much confidence, which could be risky as the tournament progresses.
“They narrowly won against the USA thanks to a strong performance from Suryakumar Yadav. There is a fine line between self-belief and overconfidence. India displayed overconfidence in the match against the USA, having started poorly at 77/6,” he said on his YouTube channel.
India had a rough start against the USA before captain Suryakumar Yadav played a key innings, leading the team to a 29-run win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Despite the win, the USA put up a commendable fight against the top-ranked T20I side, having been in a tough spot at 77/6 during their innings.
The Indian bowlers had a strong performance, effectively containing the USA’s run chase. Mohammad Siraj, returning to the T20I squad, took three wickets, while Arshadeep Singh and Axar Patel contributed with two wickets each.
‘Sanju Samson will likely play’ – Aakash Chopra on Abhishek Sharma’s potential absence
Top T20I batter Abhishek Sharma may miss the upcoming match against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on February 12 due to a stomach issue.
Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on a possible replacement for Abhishek:
“Abhishek Sharma has a minor issue. It has been reported that he had a fever in the last match and is dealing with a stomach problem, although he played. He didn’t attend the practice session.”
“Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan paired up in practice. They are currently monitoring Abhishek’s fitness, but if he cannot play, Sanju Samson will definitely be in the lineup.”
Sanju Samson was not included in the playing XI against the USA, with Ishan Kishan taking his place. If Abhishek is unfit for the Namibia match, Samson will likely open the batting with Kishan.
