The USA crushed the Netherlands by 93 runs in their Group A match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on February 13, 2026, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Saiteja Mukkamalla smashed 79 runs off 51 balls and Harmeet Singh took four wickets for 21 runs to give USA their first win of the tournament and their first ever T20 international victory against the Netherlands.
The win kept USA’s Super Eight qualification hopes alive after they had lost to India and Pakistan vs USA earlier in the group stage. Mukkamalla hit five fours and four sixes in his knock while Harmeet recorded the best bowling figures by any USA player in T20 World Cup history.
Mukkamalla Anchors USA to 196
USA posted 196 for 6 in their 20 overs after the Netherlands won the toss and chose to bowl. Mukkamalla anchored the innings from the start, reaching his fifty off just 30 balls. The 21 year old from Plainsboro, New Jersey put on a partnership of 55 runs with captain Monank Patel, who scored 36 off 22 balls.
Mukkamalla kept finding the boundary throughout his stay at the crease. He had scored 720 runs in 20 T20 internationals before this match at an average of 42.35 with a strike rate above 151. His 79 off 51 balls continued that strong form and gave USA a platform to build a big total.
Shubham Ranjane finished the innings with a blitz, scoring 48 runs off just 24 balls while remaining not out. USA added 48 runs in their last four overs without losing a wicket, going from 148 for 6 after 16 overs to their final total of 196. That late surge made the difference between a defendable total and a winning one.
Bas de Leede was the pick of the Netherlands bowlers with three wickets for 37 runs. Logan van Beek took one wicket for 28 runs but could not stop USA from reaching a strong total on a pitch that slowed down as the match went on.
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Harmeet and van Schalkwyk Destroy Netherlands
The Netherlands chase never got going after Nosthush Kenjige dismissed Michael Levitt off the first ball of the innings. Harmeet Singh then ripped through the top and middle order, removing Max O’Dowd and Bas de Leede among his four victims. His final figures of 4 wickets for 21 runs in 3.5 overs broke the previous USA record of 3 wickets for 16 runs, set against Zimbabwe in 2024.
Shadley van Schalkwyk took three wickets for 21 runs to combine with Harmeet for seven wickets between them. The pair bowled 7.5 overs and conceded just 42 runs while taking those wickets, putting the Netherlands batsmen under massive pressure. The Chennai pitch helped the spinners grip the ball, and USA took full advantage.
Bas de Leede top scored for the Netherlands with 23 runs while captain Scott Edwards added 20. But nobody could build a partnership or stay long enough to threaten the target. Max O’Dowd made 13 and Colin Ackermann was out for a duck as wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
The Netherlands were bowled out for 103 runs in just 15.5 overs, losing by 93 runs. The margin was one of the biggest wins by an Associate nation in T20 World Cup history and USA’s largest ever victory by runs in T20 internationals.
What This Result Means
USA bounced back from earlier losses to keep their Super Eight qualification chances alive. They now have one win in Group A and will need to win their remaining matches to have a chance of progressing to the next round. The 93 run winning margin also gave them a big boost to their net run rate.
Those watching saw them win the toss and choose to field, expecting dew to help their chase later in the match. But the pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium dried out completely in the second innings and made batting much harder. Teams batting first in February night matches at this ground have won seven of the last nine T20 games.
Mukkamalla became the youngest USA batsman to score more than 70 runs in a must win T20 World Cup match at age 21. Harmeet’s four wicket haul was the second most economical four wicket performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup after Nathan Ellis took four for 12 for Australia against Ireland.
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