In a thrilling match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India kept their 2026 T20 World Cup perfect record intact by winning against Netherlands by 17 runs on 18 February 2026. The top order was briefly threatened after an early wicket of Abhishek Sharma, but a rapidly scoring half-century from Shivam Dube and a spin bowling excellence by Varun Chakravarthy ensured India topped the group stage with unbeaten four wins in four matches.
India’s Batting: Dube Rescues the Innings
After winning the toss and electing to bat, India’s innings got off to a disastrous start. Abhishek Sharma fell for his third consecutive duck of the tournament in the very first over, and Ishan Kishan followed shortly after at 39/2.
The game changed its course when Shivam Dube came to bat. Dube played the innings of his life, hitting 66 runs off just 31 balls, including six massive sixes. He batted with Hardik Pandya for the fifth wicket and together they added a crucial 76 runs to the board. Pandya played a quick 30. Moreover, small but well-timed contributions from Suryakumar Yadav who scored 34 and Tilak Varma who scored 31 also proved very useful as they helped India to set a challenging target at 193/6.
The Chase: Varun Chakravarthy’s Performance
Chasing 194, the Netherlands initially progressed at a steady pace as openers Michael Levitt and Max ODowd scored 24 and 20 runs. But, the Dutch lineup got shattered with the introduction of Varun Chakravarthy. Then, 3/14 opening spell of Chakravarthy with his sharp deliveries hailing in two wickets in successive balls to Colin Ackermann and Aryan Dutt in the 13th over, totally killing the Dutch enthusiasm.
Bas de Leede (33 runs) and Scott Edwards tried to steady the innings, but Jasprit Bumrah (1/17) and Shivam Dube (2/35) managed to keep the wickets column ticking. Zach Lion, Cachet (26 runs) and Noah Croes (25 runs) slapped on a last wicket stand that was thrilling, hitting 18 runs in the 19th over but the target was too difficult. The Netherlands eventually finished at 176/7, falling 17 runs short.
Match Summary & Scorecard
| India: 193/6 (20 Overs) | Stats | Netherlands: 176/7 (20 Overs) | Stats |
| Shivam Dube | 66 (31) | Bas de Leede | 33 (23) |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 34 (28) | Zach Lion-Cachet | 26* (16) |
| Tilak Varma | 31 (27) | Noah Croes | 25* (12) |
| Hardik Pandya | 30 (21) | Michael Levitt | 24 (23) |
| — | — | — | — |
| Logan van Beek | 3/56 (4) | Varun Chakravarthy | 3/14 (3) |
| Aryan Dutt | 2/19 (4) | Shivam Dube | 2/35 (3) |
| Kyle Klein | 1/38 (4) | Jasprit Bumrah | 1/17 (3) |
Result: India won by 17 runs.
Player of the Match: Shivam Dube (66 runs & 2 wickets).
Matches Ahead
India has now won 12 consecutive T20 World Cup matches after this win.
As the table-toppers of Group A, the Men in Blue will now advance to the Super 8 stage, where they are scheduled to face South Africa in Ahmedabad on February 22.
