Pakistan Survive Late Collapse To Beat Netherlands By 3 Wickets In T20 World Cup 2026 Opener

Pakistan scraped through a tense finish to secure a three-wicket win over a spirited Netherlands side in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday. Bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf emerged as the hero, rescuing Pakistan from a precarious position and steering them to victory in the final over.

Put in to bat, the Netherlands made an aggressive start, racing to 50/2 in the Powerplay. Michael Levitt’s brisk 24 off 15 balls, featuring a towering six, set the tone before he fell to Mohammad Nawaz, who finished with figures of 2/38. At 79/3 midway through the innings and later 123/4 in the 15th over, the Dutch appeared set for a strong total. Skipper Scott Edwards (37) and Bas de Leede (30) stitched together vital runs and kept Pakistan under pressure.

However, Pakistan’s spinners halted the momentum decisively. Abrar Ahmed (2/23) and Saim Ayub (2/7) dismantled the middle-order, triggering a dramatic slide. The Netherlands collapsed from a seemingly comfortable position to being bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs, losing their last six wickets for just 20 runs. Salman Mirza cleaned up the tail and returned impressive figures of 3/24.

Chasing 148, Pakistan began confidently. Saim Ayub struck three consecutive boundaries in the second over, while Sahibzada Farhan’s fluent 47 off 31 balls kept the chase on track. At 98/2, Pakistan looked to be cruising towards a routine win.

But the game turned abruptly. The Netherlands struck back by removing Farhan, Usman Khan and Babar Azam in quick succession, reducing Pakistan to 105/5 inside 13 overs. Pressure mounted as Paul van Meekeren and Aryan Dutt tightened their lines, and the score slipped further to 114/7 with the dismissals of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan.

With 29 needed off the final 12 balls, Pakistan were suddenly staring at a major upset. Faheem Ashraf, however, produced a stunning counterattack. He smashed 24 runs in the penultimate over bowled by Logan van Beek, transforming the contest. Needing just five in the last over, Faheem sealed the win with a boundary off the third ball, completing a remarkable turnaround.

Salman Agha Applauds Bowlers’ All-Round Effort

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha hailed his side’s fighting spirit and disciplined bowling display after they secured a tense three-wicket win over the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener on Saturday. In a gripping contest at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, Pakistan’s bowlers set the tone before Faheem Ashraf’s late heroics with the bat sealed victory.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Agha said Pakistan had anticipated a difficult challenge and credited his bowling unit for executing plans effectively on a surface that offered assistance when used intelligently. “We have to do it the hard way, but I think when we bowled, we really stuck to our plans well. With 148 on this kind of pitch, I can take that any day,” Agha said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The Pakistan skipper admitted his side made a promising start with the bat, but lapses in the middle overs allowed the Netherlands back into the game. “We batted well in the first 10 overs, but in this format, five or six bad overs can push you far away from the game. If it’s two or three, it’s manageable, but more than that brings pressure,” he explained.

Agha reserved special praise for Faheem Ashraf, whose composed and aggressive knock rescued Pakistan from a collapse. “Credit to Faheem, the way he batted was outstanding and really important for us,” he said.

Reflecting on the bowling effort, Agha called it a complete performance from the unit. “We started well and knew they were going to come hard. But I think we pulled things back really well. Our bowlers have been bowling well for the last six months, and they did it again today,” he added, noting that defending a target in the 147–148 range was competitive on such a wicket.

Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards admitted his team fell short with the bat but applauded his bowlers for fighting back and taking the game deep. “We felt around 160 would have given us a fair chance. We were a bit under, so we knew we had to bowl really well,” Edwards said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

He highlighted the momentum shift created by Paul van Meekeren’s tight spell. “Pakistan got it down to a run a ball at one stage there, and Pauly bowled an over, I think he bowled a maiden or something (double-wicket maiden). And then one that went for not many to really get that run rate up. And the boys sort of jumped on that momentum. You know sometimes cricket can be a cruel game,” he added.

Player of the Match Faheem Ashraf spoke about handling pressure and sticking to the team’s approach. “We’ve been playing similar cricket for the past one year. So whatever job is given, we try to do it properly and in the best possible way. The heartbeat was fast, this kind wasn’t something new or the first time,” he said.

He added that communication with batting partners was crucial in the final overs. “The discussion was to not give away our wicket. We can do it one over at a time. If we get 1 or 2 boundaries, we move closer. So, thank God, exactly what we wanted happened.”

Recalling the tense 19th over where he lifted Pakistan back into control, Faheem said, “When the ball was in the air, I kept praying for him to drop. We wanted to finish it quickly but sometimes it happens that your team collapses. In such situations, you have to keep your nerves under control. If you look at our team, even when we don’t play well, we keep our nerves in check, and because of that we get good results.”