India’s star spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was named the Impact Player of the Match for his decisive spell in the final group stage match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the Netherlands at the Narendra
Modi Stadium on Wednesday.
Chakaravarthy delivered impressive figures of 3-14 in his three overs, playing a key role in India’s 17-run victory. Defending a total of 194, India restricted the Netherlands to 176/7 in their 20 overs, marking their fourth consecutive win in the group stage.
Team India’s strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, presented Chakaravarthy with the medal in the dressing room.
Reflecting on the performance, the spinner said, “Asli tournament next match se chalu ho raha hain. Toh uske liye ready hona hain (The real tournament starts with the next match. We have to get ready for that). Dogfight is very important. ”
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Chakaravarthy dismissed Max O’Dowd and Colin Ackermann before removing Aryan Dutt for a golden duck, curtailing the Netherlands’ progress at critical moments. His disciplined bowling kept the required rate climbing despite a late fightback from the opposition.
Chakaravarthy has been in outstanding form throughout the tournament, taking nine wickets in four games and becoming India’s highest wicket-taker so far.
Earlier, India chose to bat after winning the toss but faced early setbacks with Abhishek Sharma falling for a duck and Ishan Kishan scoring 18. Tilak Varma (31 off 27) and Suryakumar Yadav (34 off 28) struggled to accelerate in the middle overs.
The innings was revived by a powerful knock from Shivam Dube, who smashed 66 runs, including four boundaries and six sixes. Hardik Pandya added a brisk 30 off 21 balls, hitting three sixes, guiding India to a competitive 193/5.
Unbeaten India is placed in a tough group in the Super 8s. The defending champions will face South Africa, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe in the next round.
India’s Super 8s Schedule:
- Feb 22 – India vs South Africa – Ahmedabad
- Feb 26 – India vs Zimbabwe – Chennai
- March 1 – India vs West Indies – Kolkata
(With inputs from Agencies)
