American pacer van Schalkwyk, right, has been in fine wicket-taking form.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Stating adaptability has been the Netherlands’ quiet currency at this T20 World Cup, Logan van Beek insisted it will remain its guiding principle against the USA in their Group A clash at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (February 13, 2026).
“For us in this World Cup, it’s been, ‘Travel, see the ground, start the game, and quickly adjust.’ Our main theme is to be adaptable and ready for any situation,” he said, underlining a campaign shaped by constant movement and shifting conditions.
The transition to night games in India adds another layer of uncertainty. Van Beek noted that “conditions in the evening can be very different pitch-wise,” particularly at Chepauk, where spin traditionally plays a major role.
Dew, however, could yet tilt the balance. “It could also get a little bit dewy and slide on, where the seamers might become more of an important option. The way we set up our team is that we’ve got a number of options to go to,” he said, stressing that roles and preparation are being kept deliberately fluid.
The USA’s Shayan Jahangir highlighted a broader associate-nation struggle, pointing to limited fixtures, funding, and exposure.
“We have a set schedule given by the ICC. We have 12 games across three series against two different nations (outside the ICC tournaments) in a year. The exposure and funding that we get from the ICC are lacking. I think we’ve been given the tag of associate nation, but we are nothing short of a great team, as you’ve seen in this World Cup. All teams that are tagged as associate nations have put on a show, and they’ve given a very tough time to all these big teams.
“I think if ICC pays more attention to all the associate nations, you’ll see more big games, and you’ll see all these teams coming and changing their tag from associate nations to big teams as well”.
Published – February 12, 2026 11:49 pm IST
