Varun Chakaravarthy was named the 'Impact Player' for his match-winning 3/14 spell against the Netherlands. His wickets helped India win by 17 runs, securing their fourth consecutive victory and a spot in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup.
Chakaravarthy's 'Impact Player' Performance
India's mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy earned the Impact Player award in the Indian dressing room for his impactful bowling spell of 3/14 in three overs during the India vs Netherlands T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match. India won the match by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Against the Netherlands, Chakaravarthy claimed the wickets of Max O'Dowd, Colin Ackermann and dismissed Aryan Dutt for a golden duck, helping India restrict the Netherlands at 176/7 in 20 overs, 17 runs short of India's target of 194 runs.
'Real tournament starts now': Chakaravarthy
Adrian Le Roux, Team India's strength and conditioning coach, presented Varun Chakaravarthy with the medal. After winning the medal, the Indian spinner said, "The real tournament starts with the next match. We have to get ready for that."
India Enters Super Eight Unbeaten
Notably, with the win over the Netherlands, India made it four wins in four matches in the group stage and heads into the Super Eight with winning momentum. The Netherlands bow out of the tournament with a win and three losses, two of them being close losses against India and Pakistan.
Match Summary
Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. They lost Abhishek Sharma (0) and Ishan Kishan (18) early, while Tilak Varma (31 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) and Suryakumar (34 in 28 balls, with two fours and a six) struggled to play freely. It was Shivam Dube's 66 (with four boundaries and six sixes) and Hardik Pandya's (30 in 21 balls, with three sixes) that took India to 193/5 in 20 overs.
After the Netherlands sank to 51/2, Bas de Leede (33 in 23 balls, with three fours and a six) and Colin Ackermann (23 in 15 balls, with a four and two sixes) had a 43-run stand, but India got back in the game soon. Towards the end, Zach Lion-Cachet (26 in 16 balls, with a four and six) and Noah Croes (25* in 12 balls, with five fours) stitched a 47-run stand, taking Netherlands to 176/7, a valiant finish against the defending champions. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)