India Make It 12 in a Row as Dube, Varun Down Netherlands

India underlined their status as T20 World Cup favourites with a 17 run win over Netherlands, stretching their unbeaten run in the tournament to 12 matches and cruising into the Super Eight.

On a slow back soil surface, India posted 193 for 6, not quite 200, but more than enough. Netherlands executed their plans diligently for large periods, yet one decisive burst from Shivam Dube proved the difference.

Asked to bat, India were checked early by offspinner Aryan Dutt, who bowled with pace and discipline in the powerplay. He removed Abhishek Sharma for a third duck of the tournament and finished with impressive figures of 2 for 19. Netherlands’ seamers backed him up with extended boundary less spells, keeping India under eight an over after 15 overs.

Then came the surge.

Dube, initially scratchy, exploded once set. After surviving a close lbw and a top edge that fell short, he tore into the spinners and handled changes of pace with authority. His 66 off 30 balls, marked by clean, straight hitting, shifted the momentum irreversibly. Even as Suryakumar Yadav fell for 34, Dube’s assault ensured India plundered 75 from the final five overs.

Defending 193, India’s new ball pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh applied immediate pressure, extracting movement and conceding just 22 in four overs. Once the required rate climbed, Netherlands were forced into risks.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy struck crucial blows, finishing with 3 for 14, while Dube chipped in with two wickets to cap a dominant all round display.

Netherlands fought gamely to 176 for 7, rarely losing control entirely. But against a side as deep and adaptable as India, doing little wrong is rarely enough.