India’s Hardik Pandya left a lasting impression on Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede. The Dutch player, now 26, wants to emulate the persona of the Indian all-rounder. Ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, de Leede said Pandya’s ability to rise under pressure is something he deeply admires.
The Netherlands are drawn in the same group as India and Pakistan. The Dutch side will have to shuttle between India and Sri Lanka for their matches. The Netherlands last played in India during the 2023 ODI World Cup where they caused a major upset by beating South Africa in Dharamsala.
However, De Leede and the rest of his squad are now looking to overcome their reputation as surprise performers and aim for greater consistency in global tournaments.
“It was about making strengths into super strengths and being more consistent in what I do, whether it’s bowling or batting,” de Leede told PTI.
De Leede also spoke of the Netherlands favoring adaptability over rigid plans to cope with different playing conditions.
“We had a training camp in Chennai where we practiced on different types of ground and tried to figure out what works from a bowling point of view and what is the best game plan from a batting point of view,” he said.
For de Leede, who is expected to contribute in both innings, consistency is as much mental as it is technical.
“I like being able to make an impact in both innings. It’s important not to get carried away if one is going well or not. We plan a lot before games so I try to stick to the game plan in both batting and bowling and then adapt to what’s in front of me,” he said.
While the Netherlands have built a reputation as giant-killers at recent World Cups, de Leede believes the current squad is better equipped to ensure sustained competitiveness.
“The experience we have from past World Cups will be a big factor. We have a settled group that has been playing together for a while and that should help us perform more consistently,” he said.
De Leede said that this is where he wants to become more like Hardik Pandya.
“What I like about Hardik is his desire to be ‘the man’. He puts himself in positions to win matches. India have 11 potential match winners so it will be important for us to play a strong 40 overs,” he said.
De Leede’s numbers underline his growing reliability in the format. The all-rounder has scored more than 700 runs in T20 Internationals at a strike rate of just over 120 and has taken more than 30 wickets.
Regular exposure to top opposition has also raised expectations within the group, de Leede added.
“The experience of playing against the best teams in the world over the last couple of years has shown what it takes to perform at this level. For me it’s been about developing those skills and performing more consistently, with a lot of specific work on the indoor nets over the winter and then taking that into the games,” he said.
For affiliated teams, opportunity remains the key to consistency, de Leede stressed, pointing to the value of franchise leagues and competitive bilateral series.
“Franchise leagues allow you to play and train alongside some of the best players in the world and learn from them. Two-way series is where we learn the most – playing together as a team and finding out what works against top opposition,” he said.
Netherlands T20 World Cup Squad:
Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiq.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
February 4, 2026
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