India and the Netherlands meet in their fourth game of the group phase of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 18. India are on a roll currently, and sit on top of Group A with six points after winning their first three matches. The Dutch, meanwhile, have won just one out of their three games so far. They must this at all costs to book a berth in the next stage of the tournament. For India, this game does not have much significance since they have already qualified for the Super 8. They can afford to rotate their squad.
India performed brilliantly in their recent 61-run win over their arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday. They will aim to carry the same form into this fixture as well, because soon, they will be paired with South Africa in their first encounter of the Super 8 stage. However, coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav may decide to give some of the others in the squad some game time. This will allow them to rest their regulars a little and build more depth in their squad in case of injuries or bad form towards the business end of this tournament. Sanju Samson and Mohammed Siraj may come back into the XI.
The Netherlands know how big a challenge it will be to take on India, especially the latter’s spin bowling unit. However, they almost ran Pakistan close in their first game, and hence, will be prepared. Soon afterwards, they defeated Namibia, before facing an embarrassing loss at the hands of the United States of America. For the Dutch, this game will be a crucial encounter because if they win it by a huge margin, they will give their net run rate a boost. If Pakistan lose to Namibia, and the Dutch defeat India by a big margin, the latter will stand a chance to make it to the Super 8. The likes of Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards have to take up more responsibility for the Netherlands if they are to bat India out of the game.
Predicted Teams
IND: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
NED: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c) (wk), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Fred Klaassen..
Key Players
Ishan Kishan (IND): Opener-wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan sparked with a 40-ball 77 against Pakistan. Had he not played this blinder of a knock, India would have struggled to put up a big total on the board, and in turn, bowl Pakistan out for cheap. The southpaw must get going against the Netherlands as well, aiming to score boundaries inside the powerplay and taking on spinners whenever they toss the ball up to him.
Scott Edwards (NED): Captain Scott Edwards is one of the brightest sparks in this Netherlands unit. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has played plenty of cricket in Australia, also has experience of the subcontinent by virtue of playing in the ODI World Cup in 2023. Edwards can rotate the strike very well and place the ball into gaps, frustrating the Indian spinners by being busy at the crease. Edwards is also a fine proposition behind the stumps and is known to be reliable.
Match Prediction
India are flying high, and even if they rotate their squad, they are bound to defeat the Netherlands. The Dutch do not have the quality or skillset in their squad to counter India’s strength, and will be expected to capitulate soon. The Netherlands are known for their seam bowling unit. Yet, the pitch in Ahmedabad may not be favourable for it. India’s depth in all three departments: batting, bowling and fielding makes them the favourites.
