The group stage matches of Group A at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will come to a conclusion on Wednesday. In the afternoon, Pakistan will take on Namibia in a cannot-afford-to-lose game. In the evening, India will face the Netherlands.
The India vs Netherlands match is slated for Wednesday, February 18, at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India will also be contesting their first Super 8 matches in Ahmedabad, against South Africa on Sunday, February 22.
India is the first team to qualify for the Super 8 round from Group A. Pakistan need a victory or a washout against Namibia to seal their Super 8 spot. A defeat for Salman Agha’s team, however, will knock them out of the competition.
If Pakistan lose to Namibia, then Netherlands will remain alive; in that case, they will need a huge win over India by such a margin that they eclipse USA’s net run rate. So, while the IND vs NED match is a dead rubber for Suryakumar Yadav’s unit, it could potentially give the Dutch a chance to progress in the competition, contingent on Pakistan losing to Namibia.
IND vs NED: Will Jasprit Bumrah Be Rested Against Netherlands? India’s Batting Coach Answers
Coming to the IND vs NED match, will India experiment in a game of little consequence for the hosts? And by experiment it could mean resting Jasprit Bumrah, who has played two games in a row and will be required to play three consecutive matches in the Super 8 before the semi-final.
If India reaches the final, it would mean Bumrah’s services will be called upon for five consecutive matches.
Keeping this in mind, will the team management rest Bumrah, or even Hardik Pandya, against the Netherlands? Perhaps to give the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar game time in case they are needed later in the competition.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak disagrees.
In the pre-match press conference, Kotak asserted that each match in the tournament is important and downplayed the suggestions of experimentation.
Kotak said, “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.
“I don’t think there’ll be any experiments. But yes, looking at the wicket and conditions, we might try something different.”
Bumrah missed the USA game due to illness. He returned against Namibia with figures of 1/20. Against Pakistan, Bumrah was on fire, picking up two wickets in his first over to give India the upper hand.
Arshdeep Singh is likely to return to India’s playing XI after Kuldeep Yadav replaced him in the side against Pakistan on a spin-friendly surface in Colombo.
FAQs:
Who is India’s batting coach?
Sitanshu Kotak is the current batting coach of the Indian cricket team (men’s). Born in Gujarat, Kotak played 130 first-class matches for Saurashtra from 1992/93 to 2013 but never got a chance to represent India. He amassed 8061 FC runs at an average of 41, raising 15 centuries.
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