T20 World Cup | Tilak Varma gives an update on Abhishek’s fitness and mindset during rehab
Pandya also elaborated on the effort it takes to stay in peak physical condition. “The body was fantastic. I’ve always mentioned that it takes a lot of hard work, which I appreciate. But you know, playing for the country has always been a matter of pride, it’s always been my priority,” he said. “A lot of the work is behind the scenes where I’m kind of out and about going to the military, the military camp, doing morning sessions, evening sessions… making sure I’m eating well, sleeping well, making sure I have good habits.”India started in explosive fashion, with Kishan in particularly commanding form. The left-hander went on the attack from the outset, hammering 61 off just 24 balls and reaching his half-century in just 20 deliveries as India crossed 100 in the first seven overs.Pandya then anchored the middle stage with authority, hitting a polished 52 off 28 balls and adding a vital 81-run fifth-wicket partnership with Shivam Dube (23 off 16), allowing India to keep the score ticking despite regular setbacks.Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus stood out with the ball and returned career best figures of 4/20 with clever variations. His spell helped stem the tide late in the innings as India lost five wickets for just four runs, but the target remained well out of Namibia’s reach.Chasing 210, Namibia couldn’t get the pace they wanted, even though a few batsmen showed promise early on. Varun Chakravarthy was exceptional with the ball and finished with impressive figures of 3/7 from two overs.India started their campaign with a win over the USA, followed it up with this emphatic victory against Namibia and will now turn their attention to a high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday.