IND vs NED highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy shine as India beat Netherlands by 17 runs in Ahmedabad

India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bat against the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup Group A clash on Wednesday.

India are coming off a massive 61-run win over Pakistan which also cemented their place in the Super Eights. The Netherlands had lost to the USA by a huge 93-run margin in their last outing.

India made two changes, resting vice-captain Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav and bringing in Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh.

"We are going to bat first. Looks a good surface, we practiced here last night, there was a little bit of dew, so hopefully we get runs on the board and try and defend it because we're going to play the game on a similar strip 2 or 3 days later, so why not put bowlers under a little bit of pressure," Suryakumar Yadav said during the toss.

"(Happy with how things have gone?) Absolutely, I mean, the mood in the camp is amazing. Boys are turning up really nicely, and the brand of cricket which I want them to play, I think they're responding it really well. (new performer in every game) Every game there's someone or the other raising their hand, taking the fight out, so it's good to see. Hopefully a new Man of the Match tonight and then we go into the Super 8. We have two changes - Arshdeep comes in for Kuldeep, Axar is resting and Washington comes in," he said.

The Netherlands made one change to their side, bringing in Noah Croes for Fred Klaassen.

"Yeah, we would (have batted). Also looks like pretty good wickets. (what are you looking for from this game?) Obviously, yeah, playing in India is always an awesome experience. We feel like we've played a lot of good cricket. We've probably missed a couple of chances. So, yeah, for us, it's just about finishing our campaign well," Netherlands captain Scott Edwards said.

"(What are the areas you are trying to improve?) Probably all over the streak now, I think. You know, in patches we've been good with the bat and with the ball. But, yeah, just looking to put in a complete performance today. We have one change - Noah Croes comes in for Fred Klaassen," he said.

Teams:

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c&wk), Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Noah Croes.

India’s premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya has revisited the turning point of his career, casting his mind back to the dramatic final over against Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016 that first thrust him into the national spotlight.

Tasked with defending 11 runs in the last over, Pandya held his nerve in a finish that remains one of the most unforgettable moments of that tournament. Nearly a decade on, he is now part of India’s squad as a senior figure in their title defence. He believes that night in 2016 laid the foundation for everything that followed.


“I think all these moments made me the kind of person I am. There were early challenges in my international career where I had to hold my ground and back myself. It was important to have belief. In cricket, even if there is just a 1% chance, the game is not over until the last ball of the match is bowled.

“That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over. He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes.

“When things turn around like that, they create wonderful memories. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one,” Pandya said on JioStar.

Pandya also described himself as a bowling-first “cricket geek”, admitting that he has not yet fully unlocked his batting ability.

After the most recent IPL season, he realised he wanted to push towards his true ceiling as a batter. He also acknowledged the role his girlfriend, Mahieka, played in helping him reconnect with the joy of the sport.

“I think the child in me, the cricket geek, who is always there, was focusing more on my skill set as a bowler. I have always had a lot of confidence in my bowling, but batting was very close to my heart.

“After the last IPL, I realised that I really wanted to play to Hardik's full potential. I think until now, I haven't utilised more than 40 per cent of my batting potential, and that is genuinely honest feedback.

“What I know as a cricketer, what I imagine, what I manifest, and how I practice, have not translated into performance by more than 40 per cent. I took some time in my life to figure out how to bring that out. That's when Mahieka came into my life.

“We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had. I went behind the scenes, worked really hard, and had a good amount of batting sessions.

“There were days when I was on the ground for six to seven hours. When I went to the NCA, I would go at 3:30 in the afternoon and finish at 12:30 at night. I was usually the last person to leave and shut the lights off,” he added.

Those marathon sessions at the NCA in Bengaluru, stretching from mid-afternoon until well past midnight, underline Pandya’s determination to turn potential into performance as he enters the next phase of his international journey.