India have faced the heat against the Netherlands in their fourth and final group stage fixture of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue won the toss and decided to bat first at the Narendra
Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India were pushed on the back foot by the Netherlands’ pace attack with just three balls into the first over as Abhishek Sharma walked off for a duck for the third game running.
Aryan Dutt was the bowler who sent Abhishek back in the first over and then took down India’s man in form Ishan Kishan with a soft dismissal. After a couple ‘not so entertaining’ performances, Tilak Varma finally looked good, but his innings was cut short by a brilliant catch from Roelof van der Merwe on the last ball of the ninth over.
WATCH: Ishan Kishan's soft dismissal vs Netherlands
Watch how Tilak Varma was dismissed:
Tilak was batting at 31 (26) in the ninth over and decided to shift gears on the last ball of the over against Logan van Beek, but ended up giving away his wicket. Roelof van der Merwe took an iconic catch that will go down as one of the finest catches in the history of the T20 World Cup and showed Tilak the exit door.
Also Read: Fans angry after Abhishek Sharma registers third duck in a row
Mind you, Van der Merwe is one of the oldest players at the World Cup at the age of 41, but his catch said otherwise. He took a ‘too good to be true’ catch for a 41-year-old by diving towards his right and timing his catch to perfection. Merwe showcased his experience and athleticism to present a strong contender for the catch of the tournament. He silenced the Indian fans with his iconic catch and broke a partnership that was brewing for the home side.
