41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe stuns Tilak Varma [Source: @ICC/Instagram]Tilak Varma unleashed a vital 31 for India after the early loss of both openers against the Netherlands at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Batting at number three at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 18; the cricketer shared crucial partnerships with Ishan Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav in the first half of the innings. However, just as the 23-year-old was gaining momentum at the crease, he was dismissed by Netherlands fast bowler Logan van Beek at the end of the ninth over. Senior bowling all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe snared a sensational catch to get rid of Varma, doing so while being stationed at long-off. 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe proves age just a number Roelof van der Merwe, aged 41, snared a sensational diving catch from long-off to get rid of India’s danger man Tilak Varma. Merwe moved to his right and took a reverse-cup catch after Varma had launched fast bowler Logan van Beek towards the region. The exhilarating moment of action occurred in the final delivery of the ninth over of the Indian innings as India slipped to 69-3.Roelof van der Merwe, a veteran of 70 T20I matches for international teams like South Africa as well as Netherlands, showcased his enduring athleticism and sharp reflexes with a stunning effort in the field. In doing so, the cricketer also underlined the immense value of his experience on the big stage.India jolted with early wickets by Netherlands Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bat first in match number 36 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. However, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma got knocked over by Netherlands’ Aryan Dutt for a three-ball duck in the first over of the match. His in-form partner Ishan Kishan also made his way back to the sheds for just 18 as India lost both openers within the powerplay overs. Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar scored vital 30s in the middle overs, but their dismissals left India reeling at 110-4 around the 14-over mark. Later in the evening, star all-rounders Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya scored quick runs together during their strong fifth-wicket partnership. Suryakumar Yadav and co. aiming to finish Group A on a high Earlier, Team India became the first side from Group A to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The ‘Men in Blue’ achieved the same after comprehensively routing arch-rivals Pakistan by a 61-run margin in Colombo on February 15. The Indian cricket team also overcame USA and Namibia, the latter with a convincing margin to exert its dominance in the tournament. Another win over Netherlands at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium in the ongoing game will help Team India remain unbeaten before the Super Eights. At the time of publishing, Team India reached 159-4 at the end of the 18th over of the innings.
