Pakistan opened their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a hard-fought three-wicket win over the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan reached the total in the final over to seal victory. Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bowl, Pakistan restricted the Netherlands to 147 all out in 19.5 overs.
The Netherlands put up a spirited fight, keeping Pakistan under pressure for most of the chase.
Pakistan looked in control early after openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan gave the side a flying start, taking the score to 98 for two.
However, a sudden collapse brought the Dutch back into the contest, with Farhan and Usman falling in quick succession, followed by Babar Azam in the next over. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz failed to steady the innings as Pakistan slipped further.
The turning point came in the 19th over when Faheem Ashraf took charge. He smashed Logan van Beek for a six off the first ball and then got a reprieve as Max O’Dowd dropped a simple catch at long-on off the second delivery.
Capitalizing on the chance, Faheem went on to hit two more sixes and a four, swinging the match decisively in Pakistan’s favour.
Despite a strong bowling effort from the Netherlands, led by Paul van Meekeran with figures of 2 for 20 and Aryan Dutt, who also claimed two wickets, Pakistan held their nerve to cross the line.
Faheem Ashraf was named Player of the Match for his match-winning innings.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
