Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus shared a light moment in the heat of battle during their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday.
Gerhard bowled a low full toss around middle to Shivam Dube, who walked in after the Namibia captain dismissed Tilak Varma the ball prior. The Indian pushed it down to the left of the bowler as Erasmus dove across and got tangled with the non-striker.
The duo had a collision as Erasmus tried to save a run while Hardik was looking for a quick single, but it ended with Hardik lying on top of Erasmus. The Namibia captain even tried to slip in a few push-ups as Hardik got up and shared a laugh.
Watch:
A gentle reminder from Gerhard
Erasmus: Don’t skip gym session 😂
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #INDvNAM | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/aLGrwgVX5o pic.twitter.com/UlWn25mJsC
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 12, 2026
Hardik And Gerhard Shine As India Post 209
In fact, both Hardik and Gerhard starred for their respective teams.
Opener Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya struck aggressive half-centuries to propel India to 209/9 from their 20 overs.
Ishan raced to a blistering 61 off 24 balls, while Pandya hammered 52 off 28 balls, sharing an 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube, who scored 23 off 16 balls.
Opting to bat first, India crossed the 100-run mark in the seventh over, with Ishan in formidable form, reaching his 50 in just 20 balls.
Namibia managed a brief comeback before India accelerated again, led by Pandya with support from Dube.
However, India lost five wickets for just four runs towards the end, having been well-placed at 199 for four at the start of the 19th over.
Utilising a variety of deliveries, Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus achieved impressive figures of 4/20 from his full quota of four overs.
(With inputs from Agencies)
