T20 World Cup 2022: Match 23 - Predicted Netherlands Playing XI vs India

The 23rd match of the T20 World Cup 2022 will see team India take on the Netherlands at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday, October 27. Following the Netherlands’ defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in their previous fixture, things are not going to be easy for the Scott Edwards-led side.

Especially, when India is riding high on confidence following their four-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan. Despite that, one can’t rule out the Dutch side as the eighth edition of the tournament has already seen a lot of upsets and the Men in Orange won’t hesitate to cause another one.

The team played some good cricket in the First Round of the tournament and were very close to pulling off their first win of the Super 12 against Bangladesh but fell nine runs short in the end. Some of their batters failed to live up to their potential but overall, it was a decent performance from the squad. There is of course a lot of room for improvement when they take on India. Thus, here’s how they can line up against the Men in Blue -

Netherlands’ probable playing XI against India:

Openers: Max O'Dowd and Vikramjit Singh

Netherlands’ openers clearly struggled in their last match against Bangladesh. Despite having enough quality, Max O'Dowd and Vikramjit Singh failed to give the team a good start and that played a massive role in the outcome of the match. Against Indian bowlers, it’s again not going to be an easy task but if they manage to stick to their basics in the first few overs, then both can be extremely dangerous later on.

The 28-year-old Max O'Dowd has played 54 T20 internationals for the Dutch side and scored 1484 runs at a strike rate of 123.66. The opener has enough experience to deal with pressure and it will come in handy in the upcoming match as the 19-year-old Vikramjit Singh is pretty new to the international scene.

Vikramjit is yet to have a breakthrough tournament but with the quality he possesses, it’s a matter of when and not if. Against India, it’ll be interesting to see if he can show his potential.

Middle-order: Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper and Scott Edwards (c & wk)

Colin Ackermann was on fire in the last match against Bangladesh and if he can maintain his form, the Indian bowlers will have a tough time stopping the 31-year-old. Having represented the Netherlands in 18 T20Is, Ackermann has scored 379 runs at a strike rate of 117.73. Coming to bat number four, he provides the much-needed balance that the team demands.

Tom Cooper follows Ackermann in the batting order and is someone who can take the game away from the opponent. He currently is going through poor form but given his record, he is going to be one of the players to watch out for. Having played in 29 T20Is for the Netherlands, the 35-year-old has scored 582 runs at a strike rate of 130.20. 

Just like Cooper, captain Scott Edwards is currently out of form and that’s not a good sign for the team. It is because of their poor form, their middle order looks pale and fails to cope with pressure situations. Edwards with 47 T20Is to his name has enough experience to understand the gravity of the situation. He has led by example on multiple occasions and the time has come for him to do the same.

All-rounders: Bas de Leede, Tim Pringle, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad

The 22-year-old Bas de Leede is currently the poster boy of Dutch cricket. Be it with the bat or with the ball, the all-rounder has played remarkable cricket to prove his worth in international cricket. In 27 T20Is, the youngster scored has 575 runs at a strike rate of 111 and also picked up 23 wickets in the process. His bowling form is phenomenal at the moment and it can bother the Indian batters.

Tim Pringle has played just 11 T20Is and picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.50. He can prove to be an extremely economical bowler but against quality Indian batters, his job will be extremely difficult. He is someone who can contribute with the bat as well but so far, he hasn’t.

The 32-year-old Logan Van Beek has represented the Netherlands in 19 T20Is and picked up 19 wickets at an economy rate of 7.75. With the bat, he can play a decent cameo as well.

Shariz Ahmad replaced the injured Roelof van der Merwe in the last match and as things stand, he is likely to feature once again. The 19-year-old has played eight T20Is and picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.90. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of experience at the top level, the youngster played some good cricket against Bangladesh in the previous match. He is also someone who can contribute with the bat.

Bowlers: Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaassen

Despite being a bowler, Paul van Meekeren was brilliant with the bat and almost helped the Netherlands script a magnificent victory over Bangladesh. His cameo of 24 off 14 could have been the match-defining knock but the team fell nine runs short.  Overall, the pacer has represented the Dutch side in 54 T20Is, and picked up 58 wickets at an economy of 6.94. 

The left-arm pacer Fred Klaassen played 33 T20Is for the Netherlands and picked up 36 wickets in the process. His current form can be a bit concerning but he is someone who can bounce back from any situation.

Netherlands predicted XI against India: Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Bas de Leede, Tom Cooper, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Tim Pringle, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren

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