All-round India thrash Netherlands by 56 runs to go top in Group 2 in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 

India went to the top of the points table in Group 2 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 on Thursday with a big victory by 56 runs against Netherlands in the match number 23 of the competition played in Perth. 

After piling up a huge first-innings total of 179/2 following half-centuries from their captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli, India restricted the Netherlands to a moderate 123/9 in their 20 overs to go to the top of the points table for Group 2, having collected 4 points in two wins so far. 

It was an all-round performance from the Indian team as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Akshar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin returned with 2 wickets each while Mohammed Shami grabbed 1 wicket in his 4-overs spell against the Dutch side.

It was Rohit Sharma who won the toss and elected to bat but India were off to a poor start once again having lost opening batsman KL Rahul after a slow start. The right-handed opener was trapped leg before by Netherlands bowler Paul van Meekeren, for a 12-ball 9 which included one boundary. 

It was a shaky start for the India captain Rohit Sharma as well, who has really been in his usual elements but still managed to notch up a significant individual score. Rohit Sharma cracked 3 sixes and 4 boundaries to make 53 from 39 balls, recovering from a scratchy start to record this first half-century of this tournament while he put on a strong partnership of 76 runs for the second wicket, which came from only 56 balls in the company of Virat Kohli.

India’s run machine Virat Kohli is truly back at his personal best that too in the World Cup — the timing of which could not be out any more appropriate for the Indian team which is chasing an elusive ICC trophy. 

With an inside out six over the cover being the highlight of his calculated innings, Virat Kohli finished at 62 not out from 44 balls which also included 3 more boundaries and overall 2 sixes. The former India captain continued to enjoy the company of Suryakumar Yadav at the other end, with the aggressive right-handed batsmen recording his maiden T20 World Cup half-century, finishing at 51 not out from 27 balls with 7 boundaries and a six.

Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav put on 95 runs unbeaten for the third wicket with only 48 balls to help India to a strong finish and a massive total, which their bowlers had no difficulty in defending in the second part of the match. 

The Netherlands side, which was very impressive in the field in the first half of the game, fizzled out in the second with none of their batsmen putting up any form of resistance to be restricted to 123/9 in their 20 overs.

Tim Pringle top scored with 20 off 15 balls while the likes of Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede and Shariz Ahmed all scoring 16 each while Colin Ackermann getting 17.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was particularly impressive for India returning with 3-2-9-2 while Arshdeep Singh was a little more expensive in his 2/37 from 4 overs.

The Indian team will now head over to Perth where they will face South Africa in the third match of the day on Sunday, October 30.