India extended their winning streak at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a 17-run victory over the Netherlands in their final group-stage match at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
Set to chase a daunting 194-run target, Netherlands could accumulate 176/7 in their 20 overs despite a valiant effort by their batting unit.
All-rounder Bas de Leede remained the top-scorer with a 23-ball 33, followed by middle-order batters Zach Lion-Cachet and Noah Croes, who made 26 and 25 not out.
Besides them, Michael Levitt (24), Colin Ackermann (23) and Max O’Dowd (20) also scored in the twenties, but their efforts were insufficient in pulling off the victory for Netherlands.
Varun Chakravarthy spearheaded India’s bowling charge with economical figures of 3/14 in his three overs, followed by Dube with two wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one scalp apiece.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to bat first bore fruit as the defending champions piled up 193/6 in their 20 overs.
The home side, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as the top-ranked batter Abhishek Sharma once again bagged a duck, falling victim to Aryan Dutt.
Following the early stutter, in-form opener Ishan Kishan put together a 39-run partnership for the second wicket with Tilak Varma until Dutt struck again, dismissing the former, who made a seven-ball 18 with the help of two fours and a six.
Varma was then involved in another crucial partnership for India – a 30-run stand for the third wicket with captain Yadav – and walked back in the ninth over after scoring an anchoring 31 off 27 deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 69/3 in nine overs, Dube walked out to bat at No.5 and led India into a commanding position with a blistering half-century.
Dube top-scored for the Men in Blue with a 31-ball 66, studded with six sixes and four fours and was adequately supported by captain Yadav and fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made brisk 34 and 30, respectively.
For Netherlands, Logan van Beek picked up three wickets but was expensive as he conceded 56 runs in his four overs. Besides him, Dutt bagged two wickets, while Kyle Klein made one scalp.
The 17-run victory marked India’s fourth consecutive in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 and ensured the defending champions enter the Super Eights with a dominant momentum.
