The Netherlands had a tough 160-run defeat against India in their final game, but they entertained fans with great performances throughout the ODI World Cup. They won against South Africa and Bangladesh, coming close to qualifying for the Champions Trophy 2025, although it didn’t work out in the end.
After their last league game, the players were seen showing appreciation to the crowd for their ongoing support. Virat Kohli, a cricket legend, was captured giving his jersey to former Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Roelof van der Merwe after the match.
The video shared by ICC on Instagram quickly became popular on social media. You can watch the video here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzkVN_zv9DV/?igshid=MTV0OGluZGp3MHBhZw==
India is a strong and balanced team, it’s difficult to defeat them: Merwe
India is in exceptional form in the current ODI World Cup, having won all nine matches. Their next challenge is a semi-final against New Zealand, which might be tough.
Although India won the league match against New Zealand, the Kiwis historically perform well in knockout matches against India.
Roelof van der Merwe, the experienced player, acknowledges that India possesses a formidable team, making them a challenging opponent. He emphasizes India’s abundance of match-winners, indicating their capability to go far.
However, he also notes that overcoming either of the semi-finalists won’t be a straightforward task.
“Look, India is a very well-balanced side. They have match-winners all the way through. They have shown it in this World Cup thus far. Thus, they are going to be a very tough team to beat.”
“The other teams also, South Africa, has got match winners in their team and the consistency of New Zealand and Australia is Australia. So, it is going to be very, very interesting, but I think India does shape up well,” the 38-year-old said in the post-match conference.
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