In the T20 World Cup 2026 showdown against the Netherlands, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has won the toss and chosen to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The ‘Men in Blue’ are set to make two key changes: Washington Sundar replaces Axar Patel, while Arshdeep Singh steps in for Kuldeep Yadav.
After the toss, Suryakumar stated, “We’ve opted to bat first because the pitch looks promising and should remain consistent throughout the match. We noticed some dew during last night’s practice, so our plan is to set a solid target and challenge ourselves to defend it. This will also allow us to test our bowlers under pressure, especially with similar conditions expected in the coming days. Setting a total helps us gauge what works best on this surface and gives our bowlers a clear target to defend. We aim to build on our strengths and stick to our successful approach from the tournament. If we execute our plans well, we hope to post a formidable score and capitalize on the pitch.”
India comes into this match riding high after a significant 61-run victory over Pakistan, which secured their position in the “Super Eights.” Meanwhile, the Netherlands suffered a heavy 93-run defeat to the USA in their last match.
Netherlands captain Scott Edwards remarked, “We would have batted as well. It looks like a good wicket. Our focus is on finishing our campaign strongly and delivering a complete performance today.”
Noah Croes will make his debut for the Netherlands, taking the place of Fref Klaassen.
T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs NED: Confirmed Playing XI
India: Ishan Kishan (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (C) (WK), Zach Lion-Cacher, Noah Croes, Logan van Beek, Roelef van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein.