india vs netherlands: Dube's 66 seals unbeaten group stage for India
Shivam Dube's blistering 66 off 31 balls powered India to a 17-run victory over the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, ensuring the hosts completed the group stage of the T20 World Cup unbeaten. Varun Chakravarthy's tidy 3-14 and Dube's contributions with the ball helped restrict the Dutch to 176-7 as India posted 193-6.
Dube turns the innings and finishes the job
India’s innings began shakily when Abhishek Sharma, the world number one T20 batter, was bowled for a duck by Aryan Dutt after facing just three deliveries. That dismissal extended a painful sequence for Sharma, who became the first batter to record ducks in each of his opening three innings at a T20 World Cup. Despite that early setback, India recovered through a series of middle-order contributions.
Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav put together a stabilising partnership before Dube arrived and changed the tempo. Dube raced to a 25-ball fifty and finished 66 from 31 balls, an innings studded with four fours and six sixes that lifted India from 69-3 to a robust 193-6. Hardik Pandya’s late acceleration (30 off 21) added valuable momentum at the death.
On the other side, Logan van Beek and Aryan Dutt made early inroads, sharing five wickets between them and preventing the openers from settling. Still, Dube’s power-hitting ensured India’s total was always going to be challenging for the Netherlands.
Spin and all-round pressure stop the Dutch chase
The Netherlands began their reply with intent but found India’s bowling attack disciplined. Varun Chakravarthy produced a decisive middle spell, finishing with 3-14 from three overs and breaking the backbone of the chase by dismissing an in-form batter cheaply. Chakravarthy’s mystery spin choked the scoring rate and triggered a slide that left the Dutch 94-4 inside 13 overs.
De Leede top-scored for the visitors with 33 off 23 balls while Zach Lion-Cachet and Noah Croes provided late impetus with useful cameos. Dube chipped in with the ball as well, taking 2-35 from his three overs and reinforcing his all-round impact on the contest. Despite some late boundaries, the Netherlands could not close the gap and finished 176-7.
The Dutch side had already been eliminated from progression earlier in the day, and while several batters reached the twenties, none produced a match-defining innings to overturn India’s target.
Unblemished group run and implications
The win keeps India’s perfect group-stage record intact, with four wins from four matches and momentum heading into the Super 8s. The team’s T20 World Cup winning sequence has been extended, and the balance of explosive batting and disciplined spin looks likely to be a key asset going forward.
Individually, the match was a mixed night: Dube reinforced his value as a genuine power hitter and useful bowling option, Chakravarthy delivered in the middle overs, and Sharma faces scrutiny after successive failures at the crease. India will move on with confidence and a near-ideal platform as the tournament progresses.
For the Netherlands, there were encouraging signs in parts of the chase and a few promising batting displays, but the failure to capitalise on starts and quick wickets in the middle overs proved decisive.
