New Delhi: Pakistan narrowly defeated the Netherlands by three wickets in a dramatic opening match of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, as Faheem Ashraf’s explosive hitting sealed victory in Colombo Saturday.
What appeared a straightforward chase of 148 turned into a nail-biting finish after the Netherlands fought back brilliantly to leave Pakistan reeling at seven wickets down with 29 runs needed from the final two overs.
The turning point came when Max O’Dowd dropped Ashraf at long-on in the 19th over. Moments later, Ashraf punished the error by smashing 24 runs off Logan van Beek’s over to secure a dramatic victory for Salman Agha’s side.
Pakistan, which entered the tournament after thrashing Australia 3-0 in a T20I series, won the toss and opted to field first on a grass-covered surface. Despite the Netherlands racing to 50/2 during the powerplay, Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and outstanding fielding restricted the Dutch to 147, dismissing nine of their 10 batters.
A spectacular relay catch involving Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi removed the in-form Michael Levitt for 24, while Bas de Leede (30) and Scott Edwards (37) provided crucial contributions before the innings collapsed.
Salman Mirza was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers with three wickets, and Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz claimed two wickets each.
The chase began promisingly as Sahibzada Farhan (47) and Ayub (24) provided a solid opening partnership. But Paul van Meekeran’s 11th over proved devastating, dismissing both the in-form Farhan and Usman Khan for a duck to swing momentum back to the Netherlands.
Babar Azam struggled with 15 runs from 18 deliveries, managing just one boundary, as Pakistan slipped to seven down. But Ashraf’s heroics ultimately carried his side over the line.
Pakistan face the USA on 10 February in their next group match. The Salman Agha-led side, who have been instructed by their government to boycott the India match on 15 February, must win all their remaining group-stage encounters to progress.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)
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