T20 WC: India opts to bat first against Netherlands in final group stage match

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 18 (ANI): India won the toss and elected to bat first against the Netherlands in their final group stage match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

The Men in Blue, who have already qualified for the Super Eights, will be looking to end the league stage with four wins out of four matches, building momentum ahead of the next stage. The Netherlands, meanwhile, will be aiming for an upset in a tournament that has so far showcased strong performances from several associate cricket teams.

Speaking at the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed two changes to the playing XI. Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer, comes in for Kuldeep Yadav, while Axar Patel has been "rested" and Washington Sundar gets a game.

Suryakumar said, "We are going to bat first. It looks like a good surface. We want to put runs on the board and put some pressure on the bowlers to defend the total. The mood in the camp is really good and they are playing the brand of cricket I want them to play. Every game, someone is putting their hand up and that is good to see. We have two changes - Arshdeep comes in for Kuldeep, Axar is resting and Washington comes in."

Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards said, "Yes, we would have batted. It looks like a good wicket. For us, it is about finishing our campaign well. Just looking to put in a complete performance today."

India (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Netherlands (Playing XI): Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (w/c), Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Noah Croes. (ANI)

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