T20 World Cup: All-Round Shivam Dube Helps India Remain Unbeaten With 17-Run Win Over Netherlands
Varun Chakravarthy’s 3/14 and an all-round performance from Shivam Dube (66 & 2/35) helped India extend their winning streak to 12 matches with a 17-run victory over the Netherlands in the 36th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.
The Netherlands got off to a steady start in the Group A clash while chasing 194, as openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd added 35 runs in the first five overs. India broke the opening stand when Varun Chakravarthy bowled O’Dowd with a sharp delivery that struck his leg stump. The Netherlands’ top run-scorer in T20Is endured another tough outing, finishing the tournament with just 45 runs in four matches.
Hardik Pandya then provided another breakthrough, dismissing Levitt (24) while attempting an ambitious pull. Bowling a 132.2 kph short-of-a-length delivery outside off, Pandya forced a mistimed shot towards deep mid-wicket, where Washington Sundar timed his jump perfectly to complete a fine catch near the boundary.
Earlier, after electing to bat on a red-soil pitch, India lost out-of-form Abhishek Sharma early, registering his third consecutive duck of the tournament. Aryan Dutt struck twice in the Power-play, removing Sharma and Ishan Kishan (18 off 17) with his off-spin. Kishan had earlier added 39 runs with Tilak Varma (31) before being bowled in an unfortunate dismissal.
Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings with a 30-run stand before Varma was caught by 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe while attempting a big shot over long-off.
Suryakumar then played his trademark ‘supla’ shot off Bas de Leede in the 12th over before Shivam Dube launched a counter-attack. Colin Ackermann’s 13th over went for 19 runs, including two sixes and a boundary from Dube.
The Netherlands responded by dismissing Suryakumar (34 off 28), but India accelerated in the middle overs, scoring 15 runs in the 16th and 20 in the 17th to cross 150.
Dube led the charge with an explosive half-century off just 25 balls, hitting two fours and five sixes. Fourteen runs came in the final over, with Rinku Singh finishing strongly as India posted 193/6.
For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek (3/56) and Aryan Dutt (2/19) were the pick of the bowlers.
In reply, Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede added 43 runs off 26 deliveries to keep the chase alive, attacking Pandya and Abhishek Sharma. Ackermann (23 off 15) was eventually caught at deep mid-wicket by Rinku Singh off Chakravarthy, who then removed Aryan Dutt for a golden duck to leave the Netherlands in trouble.
Dube struck next by dismissing de Leede (33), and Jasprit Bumrah later bowled skipper Scott Edwards as the required rate climbed steadily.
Late resistance from Zach Lion-Cachet (26 off 16) and Noah Croes (25* off 12) proved insufficient as India sealed a 17-run win to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Brief scores:
India 193/6 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 66, Suryakumar Yadav 34; Logan van Beek 3/56, Aryan Dutt 2/19) beat Netherlands 176/7 in 20 overs (Bas de Leede 33, Noah Croes 25*; Varun Chakravarthy 3/14, Shivam Dube 2/25) by 17 runs.
