Pakistan Survive Netherlands Scare to Win T20 World Cup 2026 Opener by Three Wickets
Pakistan began their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a narrow three-wicket victory over a spirited Netherlands side at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, escaping a major upset after an all-round effort and a nerveless finish by Faheem Ashraf.
Asked to bat first, the Netherlands showed attacking intent from the outset, racing to 50 for 2 inside the powerplay. Michael Levitt set the tone with a brisk 24 off 15 balls before being dismissed by Mohammad Nawaz. At the halfway stage, the Dutch were well placed at 79 for 3 and later moved to 123 for 4 in the 15th over, with captain Scott Edwards scoring 37 and Bas de Leede adding a composed 30, putting Pakistan under pressure and eyeing a total well beyond 160.
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However, Pakistan’s spinners turned the game dramatically. Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub applied the brakes through tight spells, triggering a collapse that saw the Netherlands lose their final six wickets for just 20 runs. The innings ended at 147 all out in 19.5 overs, with Salman Mirza cleaning up the tail to finish as the leading wicket-taker with 3 for 24, while Abrar Ahmed claimed 2 for 23 and Saim Ayub picked up 2 for 7.
In reply, Pakistan appeared to be cruising early in the chase. Saim Ayub struck three consecutive boundaries in the second over and looked fluent in his knock of 24, while Sahibzada Farhan played with authority, smashing 47 off 31 balls. At 98 for 2, the 2009 champions seemed firmly in control of the contest.
The match then took a dramatic turn as Pakistan suffered a sudden collapse, losing three wickets for just two runs. Farhan, Usman Khan and Babar Azam departed in quick succession, reducing Pakistan to 105 for 5 in the 13th over. The pressure intensified as Paul van Meekeren and Aryan Dutt tightened the screws, and Pakistan slipped further to 114 for 7 with the dismissals of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan.
With 29 runs required from the final two overs, Faheem Ashraf held his nerve. He struck 24 runs in a crucial penultimate over bowled by Logan van Beek, swinging the momentum back in Pakistan’s favour. Faheem then sealed the win by hitting the winning boundary off the third ball of the final over, guiding Pakistan home with three wickets in hand and securing their first points of the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha praised his bowlers for executing their plans on a challenging surface. He said the team knew they had to do it the hard way but felt confident defending a total in the range of 147 to 148 on that pitch. Agha admitted that while Pakistan started well with the bat, a cluster of poor overs in the middle phase nearly cost them the game, highlighting how quickly momentum can shift in T20 cricket. He reserved special praise for Faheem Ashraf, calling his contribution with the bat outstanding and vital under pressure.
Netherlands captain Scott Edwards felt his side fell slightly short with the bat, suggesting a total closer to 160 would have given them a stronger chance. He credited his bowlers for keeping the contest alive till the end and said the team fed off momentum created by key overs that pushed the run rate up and tested Pakistan’s composure.
Faheem Ashraf, who was named Player of the Match, said the team has been playing similar cricket for the past year and focuses on executing assigned roles calmly. He admitted the pressure was intense but stressed the importance of controlling nerves in such situations, adding that the plan was to take the chase one over at a time and avoid unnecessary risks.
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