Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (.) A thunderous half-century by Shivam Dube powered India to a commanding 193 for six against the Netherlands in their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Wednesday.
Walking in with India under pressure, Dube transformed the tempo of the innings with a blistering 66 off just 31 balls, striking four boundaries and six towering sixes at a strike rate of 212.90. His calculated assault in the middle overs and explosive finish ensured India finished just short of the 200-mark after opting to bat first.
India’s innings began shakily after skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to set a target. Aryan Dutt struck early, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a duck in the opening over. He followed it up with the wicket of Ishan Kishan (18 off 7) as India slipped to 39 for two in 4.2 overs.
Tilak Varma (31 off 27) attempted to stabilise the innings, but wickets fell at intervals. The momentum decisively shifted during a 41-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Dube. The Indian captain contributed 34 off 28 balls before falling to Kyle Klein in the 14th over.
From there, Dube took control. Targeting the shorter boundaries and capitalising on anything in his arc, he dominated the Dutch attack, particularly in the death overs. India plundered 83 runs in the final seven overs as the left-hander dismantled the bowling plans.
Hardik Pandya added a brisk 30 off 21 balls, including three sixes, while Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 6 off three deliveries to provide the finishing touches.
For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek claimed three for 56 but was expensive, while Dutt impressed with two for 19 in his four overs. Klein picked up one wicket.
India’s powerplay produced 51 runs despite losing two wickets, laying the foundation for the middle-order charge.
The Netherlands now require 194 runs for victory in this crucial Group A encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
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