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2 min readFeb 10, 2026 06:30 PM IST
Namibia team stand for their national anthem during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Namibia and Netherlands in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)
The Associate nations don’t play big teams in front of massive crowds, so it was no surprise that the Namibian team considered Thursday’s game against India as something they would tell their grandchildren about.
Any game at a marquee event is huge for a team struggling to break through on the big stage, but for those in Group A of the ICC T20 World Cup, the biggest pull would have been playing India in India. With the game against the Netherlands out of the way, Namibia can now focus all their energies on the contest against India.
“It will be an overwhelming opportunity – to play against the best team in the world under lights in front of 50,000 people,” skipper Gerhard Erasmus said.
“We saw today that there was a sizable crowd even for a neutral game between two Associate teams, creating a good atmosphere. It just shows the amount of love people in this part of the world have for the game.”
The step up in quality, the media glare, the huge crowds and the lights are not something Associate Nations experience daily, but the African team may find some clues to putting up a good show after playing the Dutch at the same venue.
Coach Craig Williams was disappointed that the game against the Netherlands didn’t go to plan, but hoped they would now be a bit more familiar with conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
“For the India game, we have to focus on certain basics. The top four need to bat long and have partnerships. It’s important that we stick to our game plan,” Williams said, adding that the game will be a great spectacle.”
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“Losses like today set us back a bit as far as results are concerned,” he said, but hoped for a better performance in the game against India.
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