Shivam Dube starred with both bat and ball in India's win over the Netherlands.
Shivam Dube starred with both bat and ball as India defeated Netherlands by 17 runs in their last T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 18).
Opting to bat first, India's top order found it tough against Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt before Dube struck a 31-ball 66 to propel the team to 193/6 in 20 overs.
The defending champions then restricted Netherlands to 176/7, with Dube (2-35 in 3 overs) picking up two wickets to earn the 'Player of the Match' award.
After the game, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar commended all-rounder Dube for his improved shot selection.
“Shivam Dube is very difficult to bowl to because he has a wide range of shots. You can bowl outside off stump, but he still has the power to hit over long on. He is not just looking to hit over mid-wicket and square-leg. He can clear long off as well. If he works hard on developing the inside-out shot over extra cover, he will become a really scary batter. Then he can hit the ball to any part of the ground. The way Shivam Dube is maturing with every innings is very good news for India,” Gavaskar said during Star Sports’ ‘Cricket Live’ programme.
Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout bowler for India, returning with the figures of 3 for 14 in his three overs.
Reflecting on the mystery spinner’s performance, Gavaskar remarked: “Varun Chakaravarthy’s figures of three for 14 in four overs are amazing. When you take wickets, you also take away runs from the opposition. Clearly, Varun is going to be your key bowler. India will depend a great deal on Varun’s four overs. How the opposition tries to counter him in the Super 8 stage will be very interesting to see."
Abhishek Sharma was expected to be India's destroyer-in-chief in the tournament, but the left-handed opener bagged three consecutive ducks in the group-stage.
While Sharma missed India’s Group A clash against Namibia due to stomach infection and fever, he couldn’t trouble scorers in the matches against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands.
Gavaskar advised the struggling southpaw to forget the "weight of expectations" and spend time in the middle before attempting big shots.
“Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against the USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings. If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn’t force himself to play the big shots across the line. Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don’t matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart at the start. Spend an over or two settling in, then play his natural game. First, just get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place," Gavaskar stated.
India will face South Africa (February 22 in Ahmedabad), Zimbabwe (February 26 in Chennai) and the West Indies (March in Kolkata) in the Super 8 round.