The Netherlands suffered a heavy defeat against the USA in Chennai, with head coach Ryan Cook pointing to his team’s limited experience playing under lights. The Dutch side had not played a day-night or night T20I since September and managed only three T20Is under lights between the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups. While Cook acknowledged the challenge, he refused to blame it entirely for their first loss to the USA.
“We haven’t had any proper practice under lights,” Cook said. “Our match and practice against Bangladesh in Sylhet were rained off. Yesterday, we trained from 2 to 5 pm IST, so this was our first night match since Bangladesh. Some of our players weren’t even part of that game.”
Cook stressed that inexperience under lights was not an excuse. “It’s new for most of the guys, but that doesn’t matter. We need to execute, and tonight we didn’t. It was just a poor night for us.”
The Netherlands team also faced restrictions due to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which did not allow extended practice under lights. Reports said organizers limited night sessions at Chepauk to manage ground maintenance and prepare the pitch for back-to-back matches. As a result, the Dutch could only train in the afternoon, leaving them unprepared for conditions under lights.
The Netherlands joined Namibia as the second team in this T20 World Cup to openly discuss difficulties adapting to night conditions. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus had earlier pointed to infrastructure challenges at home. “We don’t have lights in Namibia. Except for players in leagues like the ILT20 or Nepal Premier League, most don’t get used to night matches,” Erasmus said before facing India.
Chasing a challenging 197, the Netherlands collapsed for 103 in just 15.5 overs. Spin played a major role, as the USA’s Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, and Mohammad Mohsin exploited the grip and turn on offer. Dew, expected by the Dutch, never arrived, leaving their strategy under the Chennai lights questionable.
Cook reflected on the pitch and conditions. “There was no dew, so their spinners gripped the ball well. Maybe we misread the conditions, but execution with both bat and ball was the bigger issue.”
The Dutch bowling attack struggled from the start, conceding 53 for 1 in the powerplay. Despite frequent changes in their lineup, the USA reached 196 for 6, leaving the Netherlands chasing shadows. “195 was probably above par on that wicket. Our bowling execution was poor, which added scoreboard pressure. Credit to the USA, they batted smartly and bowled quality spin,” Cook admitted.
Adding to their woes, the Netherlands battled an injury to senior fast bowler Paul van Meekeren. He impressed in the opener with 2 for 20 against Pakistan but missed the next two games. Cook expressed hope for his return against India in Ahmedabad. “Paul picked up the injury after the first match. We tried to get him back, but he hasn’t recovered yet. Hopefully, he’ll be fit for our last group game.”
