Exposure and expectation collide in Ahmedabad

For all practical purposes, the Netherlands' chances of qualifying for the Super Eights in the T20 World Cup have been ground to dust. Their inability to secure a win against Pakistan and being outplayed by the USA has left them in this position ahead of their final group game. Yet, the match against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday remains an important one for their campaign.

The Netherlands have played India twice in World Cups since 2022, and one of their biggest challenges has been handling the pressure of playing in front of large crowds. The stadium in Ahmedabad promises the biggest turnout they are likely to ever witness, and instead of getting nervous, they are hoping for the stands to fill up as much as possible.

More than a hundred thousand at full capacity. They're hoping.

Beyond the 'exposure' from this experience, the large crowds are what they seek for long-term growth as a cricketing nation. As one of the strongest Associate nations since the 1990s, they have made regular World Cup appearances and have built a reputation as reliable giant-killers in these tournaments.

For the first time, all matches of the cricket World Cup are being streamed live on NOS, the state-sponsored channel of the Netherlands. When they play against India, the disparity in the sport will be starkly visible: the resources of the rich versus the skills of those pursuing the sport frugally with alternate jobs, the professionals and the amateurs. In this visibility, they will hope to shine.

If the Netherlands players can withstand the crowd pressure and the opposition's onslaught, there will be scope to showcase why they are not a team to be taken lightly. Their giant-killer punch is due, if nothing else, to keep alive their hopes against the odds.

When: Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 7 PM IST
Where: India vs Netherlands, Match 36, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: Ahmedabad has the highest runs per over (9.38) and the second-best runs/wicket ratio (28.84) among all venues in the competition. The average first innings score in three games at the venue so far has been 192, all involving South Africa. Spinners have borne the brunt, averaging 41.1 and conceding runs at 9.34 per over. The ease with which South Africa chased down New Zealand's total should be an inviting prospect for the Indian batters.

With their qualification already secured, India have the option to offer game-time to players on the bench or rest certain players for the next round. However, with an eye on the encounter against South Africa at the same venue four days later and a potential final, India want to give their core players as much experience of the conditions as possible.

Probable XIs:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards, Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaasen
If Paul van Meekeren is fit and available, he might find a way back into the side.

Quotes:
"It's a massive opportunity to be playing against India in India at the biggest stadium, it is something all the guys are really looking forward to. It's a great opportunity to test yourselves against the best. Obviously, soccer is the main sport and we probably will never get to that level, but for us it's just promoting the game, and hopefully our performances can help grow that game in the Netherlands." – Scott Edwards, Netherlands captain

"I don't think there'll be experiments or anything… Every match is important for us. On this ground, after this, the next match is on the 22nd. And the final can be here. So obviously, it is good for the players to get used to this condition." – Shitanshu Kotak, India batting coach