🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 M36: IND vs NED at Ahmedabad🏏

🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 M36:IND vs NED at Ahmedabad🏏

The mathematical possibilities aside, for all practical purposes, Netherlands' chances of qualifying for the Super Eights in the ongoing T20 World Cup have been ground to dust. Their inability to squeeze out a victory against Pakistan, and being outplayed by the USA, has put them in such a position ahead of their final group game. Yet, the match against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday remains an important one for their campaign.

Netherlands have played India twice in World Cups since 2022, and one of their biggest challenges in these contests has been to handle the pressure of playing in front of big crowds. The stadium in Ahmedabad promises the biggest turnout they are likely to ever witness, and instead of getting nervous about the occasion, they are hoping for the stands to fill up as much as possible.

More than a hundred thousand at full capacity. 80,000, at least? They're hoping.

The 'exposure' they hope to get through this experience aside, the large crowds are what they want in their quest for long-term growth as a cricketing nation, one which has been in and around as one of the strongest Associate nations since the 1990s, making regular appearances at World Cups, and if England and South Africa's versions are anything to go by, of being the most reliable giant killers in these tournaments.

Several attempts to convince local businesses that their qualification to the tournament was a big deal fell on deaf ears. The imagination couldn't stretch far enough to understand what it meant when sponsorship proposals attempted to explain 'It's like a football World Cup in Brazil'.

For the first time, all matches of the cricket World Cup are being streamed live on NOS, the state-sponsored channel of the Netherlands. And when they play against India, the disparity in the sport will be starkly visible, and available for everyone to see; the resources of the rich and the skills of those pursuing the sport frugally with alternate jobs, the professionals and the amateurs. In this visibility and moment, they will hope to shine.

If the Netherlands players are able to withstand the pressures from the crowd, and the onslaught from the opposition, there will be scope to showcase why they are not a team to be taken lightly. Their giant-killer punch is due before the afscheid, if nothing else, just to keep alive the hopes of qualifying against much expectation.

When: Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 7 PM IST

Where: India vs Netherlands, Match 36, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: Ahmedabad has the highest runs per over (9.38) and the second-best runs/wicket ratio (28.84) among all venues in the competition. The average first innings score in three games at the venue so far has been 192, all involving South Africa. Spinners, especially, have borne the brunt of the batters, more than in any other venue. They have averaged 41.1 and conceded runs at 9.34 in these games. The ease with which South Africa chased down New Zealand's total should be an inviting prospect for the Indian batters.

Team News:

India

With their qualification already secured, and with nothing at stake from the contest, India have the option to offer some game-time to their players on the bench. It's also an opportunity for them to rest certain players whom they wish to have operating in full efficiency from the next round. However, with an eye on the encounter against South Africa at the same venue four days later, and a potential final, India want to give as much experience of the conditions to their core set of players.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakarvarthy

Netherlands

If Paul van Meekeren is fit and available, he might find a way back into the side.

Probable XI: Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards, Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaasen

Big picture: Distraction over, India set eyes on fireworks

No matter how good you are or how likely you are to win or how forgiving the schedule is, a World Cup brings its own unique challenges and stakes, especially at home, especially given the current geopolitics of the region this home is in. India have been comfortable victors in all three matches so far but haven't yet been able to unleash the style of play that they want to.

The last of these three matches was one in which India had all to lose. Nothing rode on the match against Pakistan in terms of progression or whom they face in the Super Eights, yet they couldn't afford to lose. Such overwhelming favourites losing to underdogs in the current geopolitical climate would have been massive outside the purview of this tournament. A win, however, merely reaffirmed their status as the favourites.

Now India will look to go back to try to score big. They haven't yet scored more than 209 despite batting first in all three games. Ahmedabad at night is the perfect scenario for them. Four of the last five first innings in Ahmedabad in the night have been over 210.

Netherlands will want to prove they are not mere props, a vehicle to see how much India can push the limits of what scores are absurd. They were within one catch of beating Pakistan, they beat Namibia, and will want to show they are no pushovers.

India will want to bat first should they win the toss, but it will be interesting to see whether Netherlands want to avoid an impossible target or do what teams do to give themselves the best chance to win in the night in Ahmedabad.

In the spotlight: Abhishek Sharma and Aryan Dutt

He is the best T20 batter in the world, but Abhishek Sharma's initiation to the World Cup has been an inauspicious one: golden duck, stomach illness, four-ball duck. And it doesn't say anything about Abhishek's skill or temperament. It is just one of those things. But Abhishek will want to get it out of the way so it doesn't weigh on him in the Super Eights.

Netherlands will look to borrow from Abhishek's first two dismissals in the World Cup. As it is, they like to open the bowling with offspinner Aryan Dutt. After Salman Agha tied Abhishek down for three balls and got him out off the fourth, this belief will be reaffirmed. Do mind, though, that Ahmedabad is no Colombo. You can trust yourself to clear the infield on this batting paradise.

Team news: Arshdeep to replace Kuldeep?

Outside of Harshit Rana's last-minute injury and withdrawal from the tournament, all other availability issues that India faced are now sorted. The only change they will likely make is go back to Arshdeep Singh ahead of Kuldeep Yadav on the quicker Ahmedabad surface.

India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.

Netherlands have been alternating between Timm van der Gugten and Kyle Klein in their first three matches. Paul van Meekeren has played only one of their three matches, making way for left-arm quick Fred Klaasen. It will eventually come down to two of three quicks.

Netherlands (probable): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O'Dowd, 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 6 Zach Lion-Cachet, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Aryan Dutt, 9 Roelof van der Merwe, 10 and 11 two out of Kyle Klein, Fred Klaassen and Paul van Meekeren.

Pitch and conditions

Ahmedabad has lived up to its reputation for runs. There have been two night matches there so far. South Africa posted 213 in one, New Zealand looked good to get there but collapsed twice to end with 175, which proved to be grossly inadequate.

Stats and trivia

• India have now won 16 consecutive matches at limited-overs ICC tournament matches. The last match they lost was the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. They have now surpassed Australia's 15-match streak built across the 2006 ODI Champions Trophy and the 2007 ODI World Cup.
• India have played Netherlands four times in international cricket, winning on all four occasions.

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Thanks for the tags, Wildy!!

Best of luck to both the teams but Rooting for India