Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (NationPress) After leading India to a 17-run victory against the Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Player of the Match Shivam Dube expressed his enjoyment of batting under pressure on a tricky pitch. He was delighted to achieve his career-best performance while adhering to the team’s strategy of maintaining a high strike rate during the middle overs.

Varun Chakravarthy took 3 wickets for just 14 runs, and Dube's all-around contribution (66 runs and 2 wickets for 35 runs) allowed India to secure their 12th consecutive win at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Dube's score of 66 against the Netherlands is now his highest in T20I cricket, surpassing his previous best of 65 against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam earlier in 2026, as well as the unbeaten 63 against Afghanistan in Indore in 2024.

“It was a bit challenging; this is the kind of situation I love to bat in. I was enjoying it, even though the pressure was on. The pitch was skidding and kept low, with some balls spinning as well. I knew I needed to adapt my game to the situation. I typically aim for boundaries and enjoy hitting sixes, but I also anticipated the bowlers would try to deceive me with slower deliveries, so I prepared accordingly.

“As my captain and coach have advised, I must keep the strike rate elevated. However, it also depends on the match scenario. Today, I couldn’t maintain a high strike rate initially. I sensed it was time to accelerate. I'm working hard on my bowling, and results are reflecting that. While you may get hit at times, you can also take wickets,” he stated.

Batting first on a red-soil pitch, India faced an early setback when Abhishek Sharma recorded his third consecutive duck in the tournament. Aryan Dutt dealt another blow during the Powerplay by dismissing both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, who scored 18 and had built a 39-run partnership with Tilak Varma, who made 31 runs. Nevertheless, India accelerated in the middle overs, scoring 15 runs in the 16th over and 20 in the next, as the Netherlands’ spin gamble faltered.

Shivam Dube turned the game around with an impressive 66 runs off just 31 balls, including two fours and five sixes, achieving a rapid fifty off 25 balls. Rinku Singh provided a late surge with a six off his second delivery, leading India to a total of 193 for 6.

In reply, the Netherlands started strongly with Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd stitching together 35 runs before Varun Chakravarthy claimed O’Dowd's wicket. Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede mounted a comeback with a brisk 43-run partnership, targeting the Indian bowlers. However, India struck at crucial moments to halt the scoring and successfully defended their total, securing an important win.