United States of America (USA) have knocked Namibia out of the T20 World Cup 2026 after registering a 31-run win at the MA Chidambaram stadium on February 15.
USA first rode on Sanjay Krishnamurthi's 68 and Monank Patel's 52 to post a robust total of 199/4. In reply, Namibia were folded for 168/6 despite Louren Steenkamp's 39-ball 58. Namibia recorded their third straight loss while it was USA's second win in the Group A fixture.
Earlier, led by half-centuries from captain Monank Patel and Sanjay Krishnamurthi, the USA reached a formidable 199/4, setting a daunting target for Namibia. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the American openers set a blistering pace, racking up 65 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket.
The initial breakthrough for Namibia came in the seventh over via Willem Myburgh, who dismissed Shayan Jahangir for a brisk 22. Despite the loss, Monank Patel remained undeterred, reaching his first fifty of the tournament in just 27 balls. During this aggressive knock, the skipper etched his name in the record books by becoming the first USA player to surpass 1,000 career runs in T20 Internationals.
Namibia briefly clawed their way back into the game during the middle overs, removing both Patel (52) and Saiteja Mukkamalla in quick succession to leave the USA at 103/3. However, any hopes of a collapse were swiftly extinguished by an 87-run partnership between Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi. Their dominant stand effectively shifted the momentum back to the USA and pushed the total toward the 200-run mark.
Krishnamurthi was particularly destructive, bringing up his half-century with a towering six in the 17th over and finishing unbeaten on 68 from just 33 deliveries. His late-innings fireworks, which included six maximums, ensured the USA finished with a massive total. For Namibia, Myburgh and captain Gerhard Erasmus were the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets apiece, though they struggled to contain the American onslaught at the death.