Abhishek Sharma Out, Sanju Samson In: India Make Two Changes To Playing XI Vs Namibia

Sanju Samson makes his T20 WC 2026 debut as he comes in as Abhishek Sharma's replacement.

Sanju Samson included in India playing XI as Abhishek Sharma continues to recover from illness.

Source : PTI

India playing XI for IND vs NAM T20 WC 2026 match: Namibia won the toss and opted to field first. India have made changes to their lineup, with Abhishek Sharma missing out as he continues to recover from illness.

Sanju Samson has been brought in as his replacement. Meanwhile, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah returns to the side after regaining full fitness. Namibia have also introduced two changes to their playing XI.

At the toss, India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Abhishek Sharma has not yet regained full fitness and will therefore miss the match against Namibia. Jasprit Bumrah, who sat out the previous game against USA due to illness, has returned to the playing XI. His inclusion means Mohammed Siraj has made way.

Playing XIs

India: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

Namibia: Lauren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Max Hengo.

After the toss, Suryakumar said: "We were looking to bat first. Very happy with it. As long as we are losing the toss and winning the game, we are fine with it. It's a big tournament and this dew is going to be a big factor, but when you bat first and go out and defend, I think it gives you a lot of confidence. It's a very good wicket. Hopefully, batters go out, enjoy themselves. Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two. Sanju comes in, similar batter, explosive. Bumrah comes in for Siraj."

What to Expect from Pitch?

The surface at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium traditionally favors batters. For this contest, the pitch has a light covering of grass along with a few visible cracks. With relatively short boundaries, big hits are likely to be on display.

Experts believe the wicket will offer consistent bounce, allowing the ball to come nicely onto the bat. While pacers may get early movement, spinners could also find some grip as the match progresses. Overall, conditions suggest the possibility of a high-scoring encounter.

Notably, the highest T20 total recorded at this venue is 278, scored by Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders.