The emerging Dutch spinner, Aryan Dutt, has played a crucial role in a team that has surprised many by defeating South Africa and Bangladesh and now harbors dreams of a semi-final berth in the World Cup.
For the Netherlands, each victory in the World Cup serves as a means to promote cricket in a country primarily devoted to football. Their journey to this tournament began with a thrilling Super Over win over the West Indies in the qualifying tournament in June.
Their remarkable World Cup journey includes victories over strong teams like South Africa and Bangladesh, and with three matches remaining, they have set their sights on a semi-final place.
Aryan Dutt, the off-spinner, has been a standout performer for the team. He often opens the bowling and eagerly anticipates more challenges. His dream is to dismiss the prized wicket of Virat Kohli when the Netherlands faces India in Bengaluru on November 12.
Dutt expressed his desire, saying, “Every wicket is important to me, but dismissing Kohli would be the best gift I could receive in this World Cup.” He made this statement during an event on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old has featured in all six World Cup matches, claiming eight wickets. He relishes bowling on Indian pitches and has drawn comparisons with New Zealand spinner Deepak Patel, who also opened the bowling in the 1992 World Cup. Dutt, however, prefers not to make such comparisons, but he enjoys the unique conditions and the assistance these pitches offer to spinners who rely on variations.
He stated, “I have faith in my strengths and don’t dwell too much on the batsmen I’m facing. My focus is on consistently hitting the right lengths and using my speed and variations to outsmart the batsmen.”
Netherlands is scheduled to face a confident Afghanistan team in their sixth match in Lucknow on Friday. Dutt mentioned, “We have plans in place for them. They are a formidable side, and we are all committed to our journey towards the semi-finals.”
Dutt’s best bowling figures of 3/44 came against Sri Lanka in Lucknow. He acknowledged that the upset win over South Africa was significant news in a country where cricket is played by only around 5,000 people.
Since his international debut in 2021, Dutt has taken 28 wickets in 31 ODIs. Born and raised in the Netherlands after his parents migrated from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, 35 years ago, Dutt has high hopes for his team. He stated, “Now, everyone expects us to secure more victories and reach the World Cup semi-finals.” Dutt revealed that it was MS Dhoni who inspired him to take up cricket. Witnessing Dhoni lift the World Cup in 2011 when he was just eight years old ignited his passion for the sport. He considers Dhoni a guiding force and has always admired Team India and its players.