India’s Hardik Pandya has left a lasting impression on Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede. The Dutch player, now 26, wants to emulate the Indian all-rounder’s big-match persona. Speaking ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, de Leede said that Pandya’s ability to rise under pressure is something he deeply admires.
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 last time Netherlands played in India was during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they caused a major upset by defeating South Africa in Dharamsala.
However, de Leede and the rest of his team are now trying to move beyond their reputation as surprise performers and aim for greater consistency in global tournaments.
“It’s been about making strengths super strengths and getting more consistent at what I’m doing, whether that’s bowling or batting,” de Leede told PTI.
De Leede also spoke about Netherlands prioritising adaptability over rigid plans to cope with varied playing conditions.
“We had a preparation camp in Chennai, where we trained on different types of soil, trying to work out what works in terms of bowling and what the best game plan is in terms of batting,” 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 have an impact in both innings. It’s important not to get carried away when one of the two goes well or doesn’t go well. We do a lot of planning before games, so I try to stick to the game plan in both batting and bowling and then adjust to what’s in front of me,” he said.
While Netherlands have built a reputation as giant-killers in recent World Cups, de Leede believes the current squad is better equipped to deliver sustained competitiveness.
“The experience we have from past World Cups will be a big factor. We have a settled side who have played together for a while, and that should help us put in more consistent performances,” 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 games. India has 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 over 700 runs in T20 Internationals at a strike rate of just above 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 sides in the world over the last couple of years has shown what is needed to perform at that level. For me, it’s been about developing those skills and performing more consistently, with a lot of specific work in the indoor nets during winter and then taking that into games,” he said.
For associate teams, opportunity remains key to consistency, de Leede highlighted, 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. Bilateral series are where we learn most — playing together as a team and finding out what works against top-quality 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 Zulfiqar.
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