New Delhi: Reigning champions India, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, will look to complete a winning ‘four’ in the group stage when they face the Netherlands national cricket team in Ahmedabad, aiming to enter the ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight as Group A toppers.
India head into the contest brimming with confidence after a commanding 61-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan national cricket team in Colombo. A blistering 77-run knock from wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan set the tone in that encounter, helping India seal qualification for the next round.
Having won all three group matches so far, India appear to be peaking at the right time. However, the team management may use the final group fixture to test combinations and fine-tune strategies ahead of the Super Eight stage. If India win the toss, they are likely to bat first on the high-scoring Ahmedabad surface, where totals above 210 have frequently been posted.
India have won all four previous international meetings against the Netherlands and are on a 16-match winning streak in ICC limited-overs tournaments, with their last defeat coming in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
Key Battles to Watch
The Netherlands, who registered a win over Namibia but narrowly lost to Pakistan earlier in the tournament, will aim to prove they are no pushovers. All-rounder Bas de Leede has been their standout performer, contributing 125 runs and five wickets so far.
India will also need to be cautious against Netherlands’ Indian-origin off-spinner Aryan Dutt, who impressed with the new ball earlier in the tournament. An intriguing contest is on the cards between India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma and the Dutch spin attack. Abhishek, yet to fire in this edition, will be keen to find form before the knockout phase.
India’s middle order, featuring Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube, has delivered timely contributions, while Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel have led the bowling charge with six wickets each.
There is also speculation that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could be rested to manage workload before the Super Eight.
With momentum on their side and depth in both batting and bowling, India will aim to maintain their unbeaten run and enter the next stage with maximum confidence when the two sides clash in Ahmedabad at 7 pm.
