India Elect to Bat First Against Netherlands at Narendra Modi Stadium

Ahmedabad, Feb 2026 : India won the toss and chose to bat first against the Netherlands in the 36th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. With clear skies and a good batting surface on offer, the Indian team opted to put runs on the board and challenge the opposition under lights.

India made two changes to their playing XI for this encounter. All-rounder Axar Patel was rested, while left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was left out. In their place, all-rounder Washington Sundar and pacer Arshdeep Singh were drafted into the side, adding balance to both the batting depth and bowling attack.

At the toss, India captain Suryakumar Yadav explained the reasoning behind batting first. He said the surface looked good and the team had experienced some dew during practice the previous night. According to him, putting up a strong total would allow India to test their bowlers’ ability to defend under pressure, especially with another game scheduled on a similar strip in the coming days. Suryakumar also praised the team environment, highlighting the positive mood in the camp and the way different players have stepped up in each match. He expressed hope that another standout individual performance would help India carry momentum into the Super 8s.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, made one change to their lineup, bringing in Noah Croes in place of Fred Klaassen. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards said he would have preferred to bat first as well, noting that the wicket looked good for batting. He described playing in India as a valuable experience for his side and stressed the importance of finishing the tournament strongly with a complete team performance.

With qualification scenarios already taking shape, the match offered India a chance to fine-tune combinations and maintain winning momentum, while the Netherlands aimed to test themselves against one of the tournament favorites and end their campaign on a competitive note.

Playing XIs

Netherlands:
Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c), Zach Lion Cachet, Noah Croes, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein

India:
Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh