&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "T20 World Cup 2026 | 'Not batting-friendly:' India players Kishan and Pandya ask for flatter wickets")
India scored 209/9 vs Namibia in T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday (Feb 12) and won the match by 93 runs, but Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan want flatter wickets. Both Pandya and Kishan scored blistering fifties but acknowledged after the match that it wasn't easy to bat on the pitch. Kishan scored 24-ball 61, hitting 6 fours and 5 sixes as opener, while Pandya smashed 28-ball 52, hitting four sixes and as many fours as well. The win ws also India's 10th straight in T20 World Cups, having not lost since 2024 edition of the tournament, which they went on to win.
Hardik and Kishan ask for flatter wickets
"Two back-to-back pitches haven't been batting-friendly," Player of the Match Pandya said after the win. "Wicket was holding a bit today. You just adapt and let your skill-set work. We'd like a little more flatter wickets."
Kishan echoed the same views and said: "In both the wickets, I feel it was a bit different from what we expected to happen. And today, looking at the death overs, when we were not able to regularly hit big sixes, I think we need to also give credit to Namibia bowlers because they were bang on with their yorkers, they were bang on with their slower ones."
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Abhishek, playing his first T20 World Cup, is pivotal to India's title defence. His ability to score lightning runs in the powerplay gives the team an edge and a platform to build a good score. The left-hand opener did play against the USA but got out on a golden duck. He missed the Namibia match because of stomach bug for which he was hospitalised as well before being discharged on Wednesday (Feb 11). "I think he (Abhishek) will play the next match," Varun said after India beat Namibia. "I don't know. As far as I have spoken to him, he looks good. He did some practice today. He said he is on the way." Skipper Suryakumar Yadav also spoke about the opener's fitness and said: "He will take a game or two, I don't know."
