CWC 2023 Update!! The Dutch have done it. They have secured their place in the World Cup with an exemplary performance to beat Scotland. They were barely given a chance to make it this far due to 7 key players of their side ruled out of the tournament due to a myriad of injuries. But the way they have played despite being massively hampered is worth tipping your hat to.
They took down West Indies with some of the best cricket that they have ever played, adding to their list of high profile scalps over the years. But their job here is not done yet. Qualifying for the World Cup is a great achievement, but it is being competitive in that competition that is of priority. Fortunately, they have the skill and the right mix of players to go ahead and express themselves in the best possible way.
CWC 2023: Let us have a look at the 5 players worth watching from the Dutch-
1. Vikramjit Singh
The opener has been one of the key performers for the Dutch at the top of the order. He has been instrumental in giving his side a fast start most of the times, thereby providing a strong platform for the rest of the batters to bide their time and play to their strengths as well. In the Qualifier tournament, Vikramjit had a good tournament for his standards, scoring a handsome 273 runs at the top of the order, with one fifth and a century. He has more often than not scored faster than a run-a-ball, and in a World Cup where contributions from the top of the order will be very crucial for every team, Vikramjit’s task becomes that much more crucial.
2. Bas de Leede
Netherlands’ Man Friday and knight in shining armour, Bas de Leede has become their most important player in the recent times. Twenty years ago, Tim de Leede had almost threatened to write an upset when he took an incredible 4-fer to leave India on the ropes. Fast forward now, and his son took a 5-fer along with a sensational hundred to take Netherlands to India. The middle order batsman is one of Netherlands best batters and has the ability to play the situation very effectively. Against Scotland he did the exact same thing, by playing sedately and holding one end before going turbo in the latter exchanges of the game. This quality of his will come very handy in Indian conditions, along with his ability to bowl key overs.
Another key figure in the Dutch middle order. While de Leede is the glue that holds the middle order together, the Dutch skipper is the aggressor. He has three fifties in the five innings that he’s batted in the qualifiers, and each of them have come at a very good strike rate as well. If his hard-hitting displays in the qualifiers are anything to go by, then it will be a huge boost to the Dutch in India, where the grounds are not exactly the biggest. He will be the key for his side to accelerate when it matters the most. And based on his performances, he seems like he is ready for the job.
4. Teja Nidamanuru
The 28-year-old is a relative newcomer in the Dutch side, but in this tournament he has proven to be a reliable performer when needed. While he’s had a pretty inconsistent tournament in the qualifiers, where he’s either scored big or not scored at all, in the times that he’s scored, you can see the quality and the technique of the batsmen. In the game vs the West Indies, it was his 111 that kept his side in the game for so long, until Van Beek went absolutely berserk towards the end. He will have to work on his consistency though, because India is the last place in the world where you’d want to carry your inconsistency. Fortunately for him, he has plenty of time to get that right.
The all-rounder made absolute waves in World Cricket with his all-round exploits vs the West Indies. Firstly he made a 14-ball 28 to tie the scores which led to a super over. Then in the super over, he smashed Jason Holder to all corners of the ground for 30 runs, setting them an almost improbable target of 31 to win the game. And if that was not enough, he put the nail in their coffins by ending the game by taking both the required wickets while giving away just 8 runs. While apart from this one game he hasn’t exactly set the tournament on fire, but the World Cup has an uncanny knack for bringing the best out of players in the mould of Van Beek. Definitely one to look out for .
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Kanak Parihar
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