Hardik Pandya has said that pitches have not been batting-friendly in the two games that India have played so far in their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, adding that the team would like to play on “flatter” wickets. That India have still managed to win both games and that too with comprehensive margins is reflective of their immense depth, highlighting why they are the favourites to defend the crown.
That said, India were reduced to 46 for 4 in the powerplay against USA on a Wankhede surface that was
gripping and holding up a bit before Suryakumar Yadav’s counterattacking 84 off 49 bailed them out and took India to 161 for 9.
Then, against Namibia in Delhi, India made a sensational start, racing to104 in just seven overs before a spin-enforced slowdown saw them lose their next three wickets for just 20 runs in the next five overs. India still managed 209 before dismissing Namibia for 116 to record their biggest win in the T20 World Cups. Although after playing two games on tacky surfaces, Pandya called for flatter wickets.
"Two back-to-back pitches haven't been batting-friendly," Pandya said when receiving his Player-of-the-Match award. "Wicket was holding a bit today. You just adapt and let your skill set work. We'd like a little more flatter wickets."
Ishan Kishan echoed Pandya’s sentiments, admitting that the pitch was far from the kind they had played on in the lead-up to the tournament. However, he acknowledged Namibia's bowlers for inflicting two collapses, as India slipped from 104 for 1 to 124 for 4 and then from 205 for 4 to 209 for 9.
"In both the wickets, I feel it was a bit different from what we expected to happen," Kishan said at the press conference. "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."
"So yeah, it was a good learning," Kishan said. "Maybe if some other team is doing the same thing, maybe we can use the crease more or we can do something different, which can irritate the bowler. So it was a good learning in this game and especially I think it was not about our batters not being able to hit sixes, but it was more of them bowling very well in the death overs."
