In a surprising display of ‘explosive longevity’, the 41-year-old Netherlands experienced roelof van der merwe The clock was turned back at Narendra Modi Stadium on February 18, 2026 Indiais final t20 world cup 2026 In the group-stage match, the ageless player produced a moment of magic that silenced the Ahmedabad crowd and stunned the cricket world. His brilliant effort not only dismissed a set batsman but also highlighted the immense spirit of a Netherlands team that refused to be intimidated by the tournament favourites.
IND vs NED: 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe works magic to dismiss Tilak Verma
The decisive moment of the Dutch fielding masterclass came in the 9th over, delivered by logan van beekAs India tried to rebuild their innings. Tilak VermaJoe had reached 31 off 27 balls and was beginning to find his rhythm, delivering a powerful, high-height strike towards the long-off boundary. While it initially seemed as if the shot was destined to clear the rope or fall safely, Roelof van der Merwe had other plans.
Running several meters from his position with the agility of a teenager, the 41-year-old perfectly tracked the trajectory of the ball as it swirled in the Ahmedabad night air. Just as the ball seemed out of reach, he made a desperate, full-length sideways dive, and extended his arms to knock the ball inches off the turf with a sensational reverse-cup catch.
The athleticism required to make such a catch at his age left commentators speechless and provided a ‘teaching moment’ for his young teammate. Michael LevittWho had missed a very easy chance in the same over earlier. Van der Merwe’s celebration was just as passionate as the catch, cementing his status as one of the most competitive greats still on the international stage.
Here is the video:
Netherlands spinner Aryan Dutt took advantage of dry conditions in Ahmedabad to demolish the Indian top order
The match has turned out to be a surprisingly tense battle rather than the high-scoring ‘run-fest’ expected from the Ahmedabad surface. India won the toss and chose to bat first and found themselves in early trouble Aryan Dutt Took advantage of dry conditions to demolish the top order.
The biggest story remains the historic fall of the world No. 1 Abhishek SharmaWho was clean bowled by Dutt for a duck in 3 balls, which was his third consecutive duck in this tournament. After some time, Ishan Kishan (18) was bowled awkwardly when the ball bounced off his body and into the stumps, leaving India reeling at 44/2 inside the powerplay.
Introduction of Tilak and Captain Suryakumar Yadav Van der Merwe’s ‘screamer’ temporarily steadied the ship before removing Verma, taking the score to 69. India’s score till 11th over is 76/3, Suryakumar (23*) and Shivam Dubey (3*) was assigned a major repair job. Netherlands’ disciplined bowling, led by Dutt’s clinical figures of 2/19, kept the scoring rate below seven per over, proving that even a ‘dead rubber’ can produce an elite level of drama when a giant-killer mentality is applied.
