Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (NationPress) Shivam Dube's remarkable innings of 66 runs, alongside Suryakumar Yadav's contribution of 34, propelled India to a total of 193/6 against the Netherlands during the 36th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Shivam Dube’s score of 66 against the Netherlands marks his highest T20I total, eclipsing his previous best of 65 against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam earlier in 2026 and his unbeaten 63 against Afghanistan in Indore in 2024.

Choosing to bat first on a red soil wicket, India faced an early setback when Abhishek Sharma fell for his third consecutive duck this tournament. Aryan Dutt made early inroads into the Indian batting lineup during the Power-play, dismissing both Sharma and Ishan Kishan (who scored 18 off 17) with three superb overs of off-spin.

Ishan showed glimpses of his prowess with a couple of solid hits, adding 39 runs with Tilak Varma (who scored 31) before falling victim to an unfortunate delivery.

Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings, adding around 30 runs together. When Suryakumar was dropped by Michael Levitt off Logan van Beek, it seemed like a missed opportunity, but eventually, van Beek managed to dismiss Varma with a slower ball.

Varma attempted a big hit over long-off, but it resulted in a catch taken by 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe, who extended fully to secure the wicket.

Then, Suryakumar unleashed his signature ‘Supla’ shot off de Leede in the 12th over, allowing Shivam Dube to take over the power-hitting duties in the subsequent over.

In the 13th over, Colin Ackermann faced Dube's wrath as he conceded 19 runs, which included two sixes and a boundary.

As India gained momentum with Suryakumar and Dube, the Netherlands struck back by dismissing the captain, who made 34 off 28 balls. This wicket proved crucial, halting India's charge and restoring balance to the game.

India quickly adapted their strategy in the middle-overs, scoring 15 runs off the 16th over and another 20 in the following over. The decision to bowl spin backfired as Van der Merwe struggled to contain the onslaught, prompting Bas de Leede to return as India surged past 150 in 17 overs.

Dube led the charge, reaching his half-century in just 25 balls, featuring two fours and five sixes.

Dube’s explosive innings concluded with a career-high score of 66 off merely 31 balls, significantly contributing to India's formidable total. The final over yielded 14 runs, with Rinku Singh making an impact by hitting a six on just his second ball. India ended their innings with a robust 193/6.

For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek was the standout bowler with figures of 3-56, while Aryan Dutt took 2-19.

Brief scores:

India 193/6 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 66, Suryakumar Yadav 34; Logan van Beek 3-56, Aryan Dutt 2-19) against the Netherlands