In the fifth overtime of the Dutch chase against Namibia, Bas de Leede brought the crowd to their feet. He went down the pitch and launched the pacer Max Heing for 6 over long-on. The Arun Jaitley Stadium, sparsely populated on a weekday afternoon – no more than 3,000 people – reacted as if the hometown favorite had just cleared the ropes. For a fleeting moment, I felt as if it was Virat Kohli who was batting on a sunny Tuesday afternoon in Delhi.
There was a lot of Kohli in that shot from de Leede, reminiscent of the now famous hit by the India batsman Haris Rauf. Like Rauf that night, Heingo made few mistakes. He saw the batsman’s progress, cut his length, did what the coaching manuals recommend. And yet, through a combination of strength, a high elbow, exceptional reflexes and something close to divine intervention, the ball disappeared. It was the kind of shot most batsmen don’t play even once in their career.
De Leede built his innings around that moment. He remained unbeaten on 72 off 48 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes as Netherlands chased down 157 in just 18 overs. It was a controlled, convincing knock—the kind that rarely makes headlines unless delivered by a star.
It’s probably de Leede’s bad luck that his six won’t do the rounds on social media like Kohli’s. There will be no slow-motion cuts, no breathy commentary.
But de Leede’s face lit up when asked about the comparison in the post-match press conference.
The young all-rounder spoke about the work the Netherlands put in ahead of the tournament and why the opening loss to Pakistan hurt him so much. He admitted that a win there could have completely changed the face of their campaign. The Dutch could have been favorites to qualify for the Super 8 along with India.
“Yes, as a team we had a lot of discussions about how we want to play this World Cup,” said de Leede. “The change in mindset – from a 160 team to hopefully now we can score 180 or 200 – has really helped the purpose of training.”
“I think we’ve had three months at home in the Netherlands, in the freezing cold. So to be here first in Chennai for the training camp and now in India, it’s nice. It’s a much better climate than at home. But it’s good to see the work we’ve done as a group at home come through in the games.”
BUYOUT 2023
De Leede produced such a performance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with some poetry. Over a year ago, at the 2023 ODI World Cup, he had the most brutal evening of his career. Led by Glenn Maxwell, Australia dismantled the Dutch attack, with de Leede conceding 115 runs – the worst figures in ODI history.
“To be honest, it’s obviously a record that nobody wants,” de Leede said. “But I didn’t worry too much about it and it wasn’t in the back of my mind today. I’m quite forgetful about performances. So it’s nice to do well.”
On Tuesday, de Leede recorded figures of 2/20 from 3 overs, which included the dismissal of Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus.
Sources close to the team say that Netherlands have invested considerable time in shooting ahead of this T20 World Cup. It showed in de Leede’s bat, especially how he decisively gave away anything in his zone.
The Dutch held two training sessions in India before the tournament. After stints in Mumbai and South Africa, the team assembled at the Chennai Super Kings academy. De Leede revealed that the team trained on three different types of ground to prepare for the conditions in India and Sri Lanka.
“We played three practice games and had a lot of practice,” he said. “We practiced on red clay, black clay and mixed clay. It will help you understand the different types of pitches that India has to offer.”
As the Netherlands prepare to face the USA and then India, de Leede will take confidence from the spark he provided against Namibia. For a party operating with low margins, performances like these are very important.
For teams like the Netherlands, these moments carry extra weight. A six that gets a small crowd going. A spell that moves the pace of the game. Not because they change everything overnight, but because they offer proof – that the work translates that the gulf is not as wide as it sometimes seems.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
February 10, 2026