india vs netherlands: Dube fireworks help India finish group stage unbeaten
Shivam Dube smashed a rapid 66 and Varun Chakravarthy produced a decisive middle-over spell as India beat the Netherlands by 17 runs in Ahmedabad, sealing a perfect Group A record at the T20 World Cup. The hosts posted 193-6 and restricted the Dutch to 176-7, extending India's unbeaten streak in the tournament.
Dube rescue act turns the innings around
India's innings began shakily when Abhishek Sharma was out for a duck in the first over, bowled by Aryan Dutt. The early wobble continued with Ishan Kishan removed cheaply, leaving the home side 69-3 and under pressure. Enter Shivam Dube: he detonated in the latter half of the innings, racing to 66 from just 31 deliveries with four fours and six towering sixes. Dube reached his fifty off 25 balls and combined with Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya to rebuild momentum and set a challenging total.
Tilak Varma provided a useful 31, while Suryakumar Yadav scored 34 and Hardik Pandya contributed a brisk 30. Those cameos were crucial in adding the late runs that pushed India beyond 190. Logan van Beek and Aryan Dutt tried to apply pressure with the new ball and into the middle overs, sharing five wickets between them, but could not prevent the damage done by Dube's assault.
Spin and Dube with the ball snuff out the chase
The Netherlands needed a strong reply but were never able to close the gap. Bas de Leede top-scored for the visitors with 33 off 23, while Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd and Colin Ackermann all made starts but failed to build a match-changing partnership. The crucial period came in the middle overs when Varun Chakravarthy ran through the Dutch top and middle order, finishing with a clinical 3-14 from three overs.
Chakravarthy's wicket of Aryan Dutt — who had earlier taken Sharma's wicket — helped choke the chase, leaving the Netherlands 94-4 inside 13 overs. Late hitting from Zach Lion-Cachet (26 off 16) and an unbeaten 25 from Noah Croes provided resistance, but the required run rate and the disciplined bowling proved decisive. Dube chipped in with the ball as well, claiming 2-35 in his three overs and underscoring a well-rounded contribution to the win.
Sharma's unwanted record and what comes next
For Abhishek Sharma, the match brought an unenviable milestone: he became the first batter in T20 World Cup history to record ducks in each of his first three World Cup innings. The early dismissal was a blow to India, but the depth of the batting lineup ensured the hosts did not suffer for long. India's bowlers then applied sufficient control to close out a 17-run victory.
The Netherlands exited their group after an earlier result went against them, leaving the visitors unable to progress further. India, meanwhile, finish Group A with four wins from four matches and advance to the Super 8s unbeaten, carrying momentum into the next phase of the competition. The hosts will look to maintain their form and the balance between explosive batting and tight bowling as the tournament progresses.
Key figures from the match: India 193-6 (20 overs) — Dube 66; Netherlands 176-7 (20 overs) — Bas de Leede 33. Notable bowling: Varun Chakravarthy 3-14, Logan van Beek 3-56, Shivam Dube 2-35.
