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The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 has reached the last game of the group stage, where India and Namibia will face off for the first time ever in the shortest format. The two sides will meet at Dubai on Monday to conclude their World Cup campaign.
Heavy favourites leading into the tournament, India had a horror start to their campaign and were eventually knocked out with a match to spare. They needed the result of the Afghanistan vs New Zealand match to go in their favour, but the Kiwis eased the 125 run-chase to become the second team from Group 2 to make the semis.
The Indian side played at their full potential in the last two fixtures, defeating Afghanistan by 66 runs and followed it up with a dominant victory over Scotland in 6.3 overs chasing 86. They would want to finish on high as Virat Kohli signs off as the T20 captain.
Namibia have enjoyed an impressive run in the world cup, catching eyeballs with their performances. They won two games in Round One to advance through to the Super 12 stage. They looked out of their depth on the big stage as they lost three games in the Super 12s.
Namibia’s solitary victory in the Group 2 was against Scotland, chasing down 110 with four wickets to spare. Namibia were hammered by 52 runs in the last match at the hands of NZ. However, they still have plenty to play for, putting on a strong performance against India.
Key players
Rohit Sharma is one of the most watchable batters in the game with a resplendent strokeplay. The stylish opening batter has been terrific for India in international T20s, scoring 2982 runs at an average of 32 while striking at 138. Sharma has smashed four centuries and 23 half centuries in T20Is. Rohit hammered 74 off 47 against Afghanistan and followed it up with 30 off 16 against Scotland.
KL Rahul, at his best can claim to be the best opening batter in T20 cricket. He has a sublime record in international T20s as well with 1697 runs from 49 innings averaging nearly 40 at a superb rate of 143. KL Rahul has been in sensational touch, having blasted 69 off 48 against Afghanistan and 50 off just 19 against Scotland. Rahul will be a huge threat for Namibian bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah, is without a doubt, the best fast bowler going around across formats. He has been very good for India international T20s, having claimed 64 wickets in 53 matches at just 6.55 runs per over, with five three-wicket hauls. Bumrah has bowled beautifully in the last three games, returning with the figures of 2/19, 1/25 and 2/10. The Indian speedster will be the biggest threat for Namibia’s inexperienced batting unit.
David Wiese, the South African born player, has made an immense impact for Namibia in a very short span. The all-rounder has a lot of experience in the T20 format, having played in the leagues around the world. Wiese has 3060 runs in all T20s averaging 23.53 at a superb strike rate of 142. He also has 214 wickets to his name with the ball at an economy of 8.41.
Wiese has produced some impactful performances bin the tournament with 201 runs at a 50 average and six wickets from seven games. Namibia will need another all-round display from Wiese if they are to compete against India.
Prediction
After two straight losses to begin the campaign, the Indian batting unit has shown remarkable intent and dominance. KL Rahul, Sharma, and Pant have looked in great form, while Hardik Pandya getting amongst runs is a good sign for India. The bowling attack is potent, with Bumrah and Mohammed Shami leading the way. The spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja will be hard for Namibia to deal with.
Namibia’s batting was their strength in the first round but has underperformed in the Super 12s. Stephan Baard, Gerhard Erasmus and Zane Green need to step up to support David Wiese. The bowling attack has done well in patches, with Ruben Trumpelmann looking impressive with the new ball. Overall, India are a far superior team and should run over Namibia with ease.
