T20 World Cup 2026: USA Rout Netherlands by 93 Runs in Historic Chennai Triumph

CHENNAI – The United States kept their Super 8s hopes alive in spectacular fashion on Friday, securing a record-breaking 93-run victory over the Netherlands at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Powered by a magnificent 79 from Saiteja Mukkamalla and a devastating spell of spin bowling from Harmeet Singh, the USA not only registered their first win of the tournament but also achieved their first-ever victory over the Dutch in men's T20Is .

The massive win has thrown Group A wide open, lifting the USA off the bottom of the table and dramatically improving their net run rate, while leaving the Netherlands reeling after their second defeat .

Mukkamalla and Ranjane Propel USA to Commanding Total

Asked to bat first by Dutch captain Scott Edwards, the USA openers came out with intent. Shayan Jahangir set the tone early, launching sixes off Aryan Dutt and Logan van Beek inside the first two overs . Although Jahangir departed for a brisk 20 off 14 balls in the third over, captain Monank Patel held firm at the other end .

The innings was transformed by the arrival of Saiteja Mukkamalla. Dropped after the opening game against India, the 21-year-old New Jersey-born batter returned to the XI with a point to prove and delivered a knock of the highest class . Batting at number three, Mukkamalla announced himself by smashing left-arm pacer Fred Klaassen's first ball for six straight down the ground .

Mukkamalla was particularly elegant hitting in the 'V', finding the boundary with regularity against both pace and spin. He brought up his 30-ball half-century by creaming fast bowler Kyle Klein over the cover fence . His 79 off 51 balls, featuring five fours and four sixes, formed the bedrock of the USA's innings .

After Mukkamalla was eventually dismissed in the 17th over, Shubham Ranjane provided the perfect finishing flourish. The lower-order batter launched a brutal assault on the Dutch bowling, smashing an unbeaten 48 off just 24 balls at a strike rate of 200 . His heroics lifted the USA to a formidable 196/6 from their 20 overs .

Team	Score	Innings Highlights
USA	196/6 (20 overs)	S. Mukkamalla 79 (51), S. Ranjane 48* (24); B. de Leede 3/37
Netherlands	103 all out (15.5 overs)	B. de Leede 23 (17); H. Singh 4/21, S. van Schalkwyk 3/21

Harmeet and Spinners Run Riot as Dutch Collapse

The Netherlands' chase never got off the ground. Left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige struck in the second over, bowling Michael Levitt with a delivery that skidded through low . However, it was fellow spinner Harmeet Singh who did the real damage.

introduced in the powerplay, the former India Under-19 player tore through the Dutch middle order with a masterclass in variation and control . He first removed dangerman Max O'Dowd, caught by Milind Kumar, and then trapped Colin Ackermann in front for a golden duck in consecutive overs .

From a precarious 45/3, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Bas de Leede, who had shown some resistance with 23, was the next to fall, caught by Monank Patel off Harmeet's bowling . The wickets tumbled with regularity as the required run rate ballooned out of control.

Harmeet finished with astonishing figures of 4/21 from his four overs, claiming the key scalps of O'Dowd, Ackermann, de Leede, and Scott Edwards . He was ably supported by the ever-impressive Shadley van Schalkwyk, who picked up 3/21, and leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin, who chipped in with two wickets .

The Dutch batting order folded like a house of cards, losing their last six wickets for just 40 runs . They were eventually bowled out for a paltry 103 in the 16th over, handing the USA a colossal 93-run victory .

Records Tumble in USA's Statement Win

The victory was not just historic for the USA; it was record-breaking. The 93-run margin of victory is now the biggest win (by runs) for an Associate nation in T20 World Cup history . Furthermore, this was the USA's first win against the Netherlands in international cricket, having lost all six previous encounters across ODIs and T20Is .

"This is a massive moment for USA Cricket," said Player of the Match Harmeet Singh. "The pitch was quite decent for batting, but we kept varying our speeds and lines to keep the batters guessing. Saiteja's knock was world-class, and it set the game up perfectly for us" .

What This Means for Group A

The result has completely revitalized Group A. India and Pakistan remain at the top with four points each, but the USA's massive win has catapulted them into third place with a much-improved net run rate .

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Points	NRR
India	2	2	0	4	+3.050
Pakistan	2	2	0	4	+0.932
USA	3	1	2	2	+0.533
Netherlands	3	1	2	2	-1.352
Namibia	2	0	2	0	-2.884

Table: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group A Points Table (as of Feb 13)

For the USA, the equation is simple: win their final group match against Namibia on Sunday, and they will almost certainly secure a spot in the Super 8s. For the Netherlands, the path is now much harder; they must beat India in their final game and hope other results go their way to advance .

What's Next?

The USA will play their final Group A match against Namibia on Sunday, February 15, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai . The Netherlands face a daunting task against tournament heavyweights India on Wednesday, February 18, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad .