india vs netherlands — Dube's 66 lifts hosts to 17-run win as India finish Group A unbeaten
Shivam Dube’s brutal middle-order hitting and a crucial spell from Varun Chakravarthy helped India record a 17-run win over the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, keeping the hosts unbeaten as they advance to the Super 8s. The match produced joy for the crowd and frustration for Abhishek Sharma, who became the first batter in T20 World Cup history to register ducks in his first three innings.
Dube’s blitz sets up a challenging total
India elected to bat after winning the toss and were rocked early when Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck, beaten by a back-of-a-length delivery from Aryan Dutt. The early wobble continued when Ishan Kishan was dismissed, leaving India 69-3 and giving the Netherlands a sniff.
Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav steadied the middle overs with useful contributions of 31 and 34 respectively, but it was Dube who changed the innings. Coming in with the scoreboard under pressure, Dube exploded for 66 off 31 deliveries, finishing with four fours and six sixes and racing to his fifty in just 25 balls. He stitched a late‑innings surge with Hardik Pandya, whose 30 off 21 pushed India to a competitive 193-6 in their 20 overs.
Despite Logan van Beek’s economy and wickets — he finished with 3-56 — India’s late hitting ensured a total that would prove difficult for the Dutch attack to overhaul.
Chakravarthy and Dube with the ball shut down the chase
The Netherlands began their chase with intent, but spin quickly became the story. Varun Chakravarthy produced a match-defining spell, taking 3-14 in his three overs and strangling the middle overs when the Dutch needed partnerships. Chakravarthy removed two key batters cheaply, including dismissing Aryan Dutt for a duck.
Bas de Leede was the top scorer for the Netherlands with 33 off 23 balls, and there were late pushes from Zach Lion-Cachet and Noah Croes that added momentum, but the required scoring rate remained just out of reach. Dube further impressed with the ball as well, claiming 2-35 from his three overs and helping to restrict the Dutch to 176-7.
With the chase effectively blunted in the middle overs, India managed the closing stages to secure a 17-run victory and complete a perfect four-from-four run through Group A.
Unwanted milestone for Sharma but overall progress for hosts
While the team celebration was real, Abhishek Sharma’s series of early dismissals will be a concern. He was out for a duck after facing only three balls in this match, marking his third consecutive duck at this World Cup and a rare statistical milestone in the tournament’s history.
For the hosts, however, the bigger picture is positive. India head into the Super 8s unbeaten, buoyed by big performances across the squad and a balance of explosive batting and incisive spin bowling. The team also extends a broader winning run in T20 World Cups, continuing a sequence of strong results since 2024.
On the Dutch side, the result ends their campaign early, and while some individual performances offered encouragement, the team couldn’t consistently press India when required. The match underlined the importance of seizing momentum in the middle overs and showed how quickly games can tilt when a big hitter like Dube gets going.
India now turn their attention to the Super 8s, carrying confidence from a full-house group stage and a clear blueprint: when their power hitters fire and the spinners land their lengths, they are tough to beat.
