Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (NationPress) Varun Chakravarthy's impressive 3-14 and a stellar all-round display by Shivam Dube (66 runs and 2-35) solidified India's unbeaten streak, now at 12 matches, with a 17-run triumph against the Netherlands in the 36th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

In the Group A encounter, the Netherlands began their chase of 194 runs on a promising note, with openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd putting together 35 runs in just five overs. India disrupted this steady opening partnership when Varun Chakravarthy bowled a sharp delivery that hit O’Dowd's leg stump. O’Dowd, the Netherlands’ top run-scorer in T20Is, concluded a disappointing T20 World Cup journey with only 45 runs across four matches.

Hardik Pandya quickly provided India with another breakthrough, dismissing Levitt (24) while he attempted a risky pull shot. Pandya's delivery, pitched short and outside off at 132.2 kph, forced a mistimed shot that soared towards deep mid-wicket, where Washington Sundar made a remarkable catch, timing his jump perfectly to secure the catch above his head.

Earlier in the match, after opting to bat on a red-soil pitch, India lost the struggling Abhishek Sharma early, marking his third consecutive duck of the tournament. Aryan Dutt made early inroads, claiming the wickets of both Sharma and Ishan Kishan (18 off 17) in his first three overs of off-spin. Kishan, who showed promise with a few solid hits, added 39 runs with Tilak Varma (31) before an unfortunate dismissal curtailed his innings.

Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav stabilized the innings, adding around 30 runs together. Varma aimed to clear long-off but was caught by 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe in a diving effort.

Yadav then showcased his signature 'Supla' shot off de Leede in the 12th over, paving the way for all-rounder Shivam Dube to unleash his power-hitting in the following over.

Dube dominated Colin Ackermann in the 13th over, smashing two sixes and a boundary, amassing 19 runs from the over.

Just as it seemed India was gaining momentum with Yadav and Dube's counterattack, the Netherlands struck back by dismissing the skipper, who scored 34 off 28 balls.

India shifted gears in the middle overs, scoring 15 runs in the 16th over and following it up with another 20 in the next. The strategy of bowling spin did not yield results; Van der Merwe struggled to contain the onslaught, forcing Bas de Leede back into the bowling rotation as India crossed 150 in the 17th over.

Shivam Dube led the charge, blazing to an explosive half-century off just 25 balls, featuring two fours and five sixes. The final over yielded 14 runs, highlighted by Rinku Singh hitting a six on his second ball. India concluded their innings with a formidable total of 193/6.

For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek (3-56) and Aryan Dutt (2-19) were the standout bowlers.

Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede were pivotal in the Netherlands' innings, adding 43 runs off 26 balls. They capitalized on Pandya's bowling, scoring 14 runs before Sharma’s brief spell concluded.

Ackermann’s (23 off 15) explosive cameo ended with a catch taken by Rinku Singh, providing Chakravarthy with his second wicket and terminating the 43-run partnership. The Dutch faced further challenges as Chakravarthy dismissed Aryan Dutt for a golden duck, putting the Netherlands in a precarious position.

Dube retaliated after conceding runs, claiming the crucial wicket of de Leede (33). The Netherlands fell behind in their required run rate as Bumrah returned to claim the wicket of captain Scott Edwards.

Despite a late fightback from Zach Lion-Cachet (26 off 16) and Noah Croes (25 off 12*), the required runs proved to be too steep, as India sealed their 12th consecutive win by 17 runs.

Chakravarthy's 3-14 and Dube's all-round performance (66 runs & 2-35) were critical to India’s success.

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