We are down to the final fixture in Group A at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The defending champions, India, take on the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
State of the group - India are the only team to have secured qualification for the Super 8s heading into the group's final matchday. Pakistan and the USA are tied on four points, while the Netherlands sit on two points. A win for Pakistan would send them through to the next round, shutting the door on both the USA and the Dutch.
The Netherlands will therefore have clarity on their qualification chances before they step onto the field in Ahmedabad. However, even if Pakistan slip up, it would take an extraordinary result for the Dutch to progress on net run rate, given the significant dent their NRR has taken due to the loss against the USA.
India in focus - After the USA pushed them into a corner, their subsequent games against Namibia and arch-rivals Pakistan did not pose the same level of challenge. Even so, Suryakumar Yadav and his men will believe they are yet to put together a complete performance across all three departments.
Top order cushion - Abhishek Sharma has two ducks in as many games, but his early departures have not hurt India much because Ishan Kishan has provided brisk starts at the top. Similarly, the fluency one expects from Tilak Varma has been missing. He will be keen to find confidence before the next round begins with a score of note against the Dutch.
An eye on the Super 8s - With a three-day gap between the final group fixture and the opening Super 8 clash against South Africa, India will be relieved that there is no travel involved. With qualification already sealed, a few players could be rested, especially Jasprit Bumrah, whose workload India have been careful in managing leading up to the tournament.
Washington Sundar, who is returning from an injury layoff and only linked up with the squad ahead of the Namibia game, could be given an opportunity to get some game time. That would allow him to regain rhythm and ensure the team is not forced to throw him into the deep end should a late injury arise during the Super 8 stage.
Highs, lows, and what ifs - After coming so close yet falling short against Pakistan, the Netherlands managed to put that disappointment behind them with a win over Namibia. However, the Scott Edwards-led unit was handed a heavy defeat by the USA, who outplayed and outclassed them in all departments.
Top order troubles - Their start at the top has been a major concern. The highest opening stand for the Dutch so far is just 28, with Michael Levitt and Max O'Dowd, two of the top three run scorers in Netherlands T20I history, yet to make a significant impact. The experienced Colin Ackermann has also not delivered with the bat, which has only compounded their struggles. Bas de Leede, though, has provided valuable all round contributions, the kind of impact many expected from him coming into the tournament.
Powerplay problems with the ball - As the saying goes, well begun is half done, but the Dutch have struggled to make inroads with the ball in the Powerplay and will need to improve in that phase if they are to challenge the might of the Indian batting unit.
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