KEY POINTS
- Pakistan beat Netherlands by three wickets in a tense final-over finish to open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.
- All-rounder Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 29 off 11 balls, including two consecutive sixes in the penultimate over, turned the game.
- Opener Sahibzada Farhan anchored the chase with 47, while Salman Mirza (3-24) led Pakistan’s bowling attack to restrict the Dutch to 147.
- Former Pakistani cricketers hailed Ashraf’s match-winning knock, highlighting it as a single-handed rescue act amid batting-order concerns.
COLOMBO: Pakistan commenced their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a nail-biting three-wicket victory over the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 148, the Men in Green stumbled repeatedly before all-rounder Faheem Ashraf’s explosive late intervention guided them home with three balls to spare.
Faheem Ashraf’s sensational cameo guides Pakistan to a win in the #T20WorldCup 2026 opener 👊
He wins the @aramco POTM award 🥇 pic.twitter.com/BeTMbzOgJk
— ICC (@ICC) February 7, 2026
Dutch post a competitive total
Winning the toss and batting first, the Netherlands made a brisk start, propelled by Michael Levitt’s 24 off 15 balls. Despite regular wickets, contributions from Bas de Leede (30), Colin Ackermann (20), and a captain’s knock of 37 from Scott Edwards helped them post 147 all out in 19.5 overs.
Pakistan’s bowling attack shared the spoils effectively. Seamer Salman Mirza was the pick with 3-24, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and part-timer Saim Ayub claimed two wickets apiece.
Nervous chase anchored by Farhan, sealed by Faheem
Pakistan’s reply began aggressively, with openers Saim Ayub (24 off 13) and Sahibzada Farhan setting a strong platform. However, the innings lost momentum in the middle overs, with Babar Azam departing for a laboured 15 and wickets falling at regular intervals to Dutch spinners Aryan Dutt and Roelof van der Merwe.
At 122-7 in the 17th over, the game tilted decisively towards the Netherlands. Enter Faheem Ashraf, who transformed the contest with a stunning counterattack.
He smashed two consecutive sixes off Logan van Beek in the penultimate over, finishing unbeaten on a devastating 29 off just 11 balls (2×4, 3×6) to shepherd his team to a dramatic win. Opener Sahibzada Farhan’s anchoring 47 off 31 balls proved equally vital.
Former stars hail Faheem’s rescue act
The match-winning knock drew immediate and effusive praise from former Pakistan cricketers.
Well done and thanks @iFaheemAshraf – werna batters ne kasar ni chorho thi over ambitious shots
— Yasir Hameed (@Yasir_HameedQ) February 7, 2026
Former all-rounder and coach Azhar Mahmood led the accolades, stating on social media, “Well done Faheem Ashraf. You won the match single-handedly. The rest of the batters need to seriously rethink their approach.”
Former spinner Saeed Ajmal added a humorous note, writing, “Thank you Ranaaaa saaabbb!! Warna ham Shayad India ke saath khelnay ka soch hi lety (Thank you, Rana sahab!! Otherwise, we might have started thinking about playing with India),” referencing the high-stakes nature of the escape.
Thank you Ranaaaa saaabbb!!
Warna ham Shayad india K Sath khelny ka soch hee lety!#rana #PAKvNED pic.twitter.com/Jw80AJsSlo— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) February 7, 2026
Pacer Rumman Raees and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed also took to social media to applaud Ashraf’s decisive cameo.
Rana jee Kia bat ha apki 💪🏻
— Rumman Raees (@rummanraees15) February 7, 2026
Looking Ahead
While the victory provides a crucial two points, Pakistan’s top and middle order fragility will be a concern as they progress in the tournament. The Netherlands, meanwhile, will rue missed opportunities after having Pakistan on the ropes but will take heart from a spirited performance.
Pakistan’s next assignment in the group stage will be against Scotland on Tuesday at the same venue.
