India vs Netherlands - 2026 Women's T20 World Cup

July 24, 1993. Dutch skipper Nicola Payne wins the toss and elects to field against India. The Netherlands had surprised everyone with a 70-run win against the West Indies in the league stage of the World Cup. Before play began, the match was reduced to 35 overs per innings. India managed to score only 93, losing four wickets. At 46/3, the Dutch seemed on course to pull off another upset. However, four run outs and a couple of wickets each from captain Diana Edulji and Purnima Rau saw the Dutch side be all out for 76 with four balls to spare.

 

In the next World Cup, India and the Netherlands were placed in the same group. Pauline te Beest decided to bowl first. The match was reduced to 40 overs per side due to rain. In front of their home crowd in Ghaziabad, India managed 175. In response, Indian captain Pramila Bhatt gave the ball to nine of the playing eleven, who bowled at least three overs each. The Netherlands finished their innings at 82/9. Despite the loss, it was Ariette van Noortwijk's standout bowling figures of 8-2-25-4 that earned her the player of the match award.

 

It was in the 2000 World Cup that the two sides finally competed in a full 50-over-per-side contest. For the third time in a row, the Netherlands put India to bat first. Pauline te Beest would regret the decision. After 182 minutes, India posted a mammoth 275, with the top five batters adding at least 30 runs to the total. Anjum Chopra, Hemlata Kala, and Mithali Raj struck half-centuries, and the team got significant help from the 28 extras conceded by the Dutch side. The chase was anything but dull, as India won the match by a margin of 154 runs.

 

 

 

At the 2026 T20 World Cup, India will play the Netherlands yet again in a women's World Cup match. The Netherlands has qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time. They earned this spot after finishing second to Ireland in the European qualifier and later finishing fourth in the 2025 T20 World Cup qualifier. In their opening match, despite finding themselves 76/5, Babette de Leede's captain's knock of 50(45)* took them to a competitive total of 139. However, the Bangladesh batters put on a strong opening partnership, setting the tone for their six-wicket win.

 

India, on the other hand, opened their campaign against an easy win against Pakistan. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur's 91-run stand of only 64 balls, and a late blitzkrieg from Richa Ghosh of 34(17)* took India to 170. Pakistan kept losing wickets consistently, with only one batter managing to score more than 13 runs. Deepti Sharma's five-wicket haul ensured a comfortable 64-run win for India.

 

In the T20 International format, the Netherlands will field their most experienced players against a mighty opponent like India. Sterre Kalis, Robine Rijke, Babette de Leede, and Heather Siegers have amassed over 1000 runs in the format. However, the low strike rate of even their most experienced campaigners will be a concern for the Dutch side. Siegers has struck at a rate of 119 in this format, and the next best is Kalis with a strike rate of 104. In the bowling department, all-rounder Iris Zwilling has been the leading wicket-taker for the Netherlands with 101 scalps to her name in the format. She will be supported by spinner Caroline de Lange and pacer Silver Siegers, who have an impressive economy of under 6.

 

Though it was a thumping victory for the Women in Blue against Pakistan, a few key players would look forward to getting into the rhythm in a clash that heavily favors them. Shafali Verma and Jeminah Rodrigues will look to be back amongst the run-scorers. It would be interesting to see if Bharti Fulmali, who has been picked up for her explosive batting down the order, will be retained, given her below-par form in T20 Internationals. One can expect Nandani Sharma to make her World Cup debut in the fixture against the Netherlands.

 

The only previous WT20I played at Leeds was in 2024, when England defeated Pakistan during their three-match T20 International series. The India-Netherlands match will follow the league match between Australia and Bangladesh. Both matches will be played in Leeds, where the mercury has dropped to 16 degrees, and the chance of light rain will persist, given the humid conditions. The India-Netherlands match will begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on the Star Sports Network and Jio Hotstar.