Ahmedabad: India continued their dominant run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a convincing 17-run victory over the Netherlands in their final Group A match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Electing to bat first after winning the toss, India posted a challenging total of 193/6 in their 20 overs. The innings was powered by a blistering half-century from Shivam Dube, who smashed 66 off just 31 balls, including 4 fours and 6 sixes. His aggressive knock, particularly in the death overs where India plundered 75 runs in the last five, turned what could have been a competitive score into a formidable one with captain Suryakumar Yadav (34), Hardik Pandya (30) and Tilak Varma (28) contributing cameos.
In response, the Netherlands put up a spirited fight but fell short at 176/7. They lost early wickets, but some resistance in the middle overs kept the chase alive with Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann stiching a 53-run partnership off 26 balls. However, India’s bowling attack, led by Varun Chakaravarthy, who claimed three wickets, including two in two balls, and batting hero Shivam Dube, also making an impact with the ball with 2/35, derailed the momentum. Hardik Pandya also picked up crucial breakthroughs, including a fine catch-assisted dismissal.
The final over also saw two consecutive dropped catches: Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav collided while going for the first one, and Tilak Varma then spilled the next while running in from deep point, possibly distracted by the lights.
The win marked India’s fourth consecutive victory in the group stage, maintaining a 100% record heading into the Super 8 stage.
