- By Vishal Pushkar
- Sat, 07 Feb 2026 03:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The T20 World Cup 2026 got off to a thrilling start as Pakistan avoided a major upset at the hands of the Netherlands, securing a tough 8-wicket win with 3 balls to spare. The spectators at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo got their money's worth, saw Pakistan evade defeat in the last over, chasing 148. After winning the toss, Pakistan invited the Netherlands to bat first on a green top.
In response, the Netherlands posted 147 for 10 in 19.5 overs.
In their reply, Pakistan were sitting comfortably at 98/2 in 11 overs in the chase. However, what followed was a collapse of epic proportions. Losing five wickets at regular intervals kept the Pakistan team under pressure. In the end, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi took their side home.
Netherlands' Innings:
Something similar to the Dutch, as they were cruising at 79/3, and later reached 123/4 in 15 overs. Skipper Scott Edwards (37) and Bas de Leede (30) appeared to be guiding the team toward a formidable 170+ total. However, the Pakistani spinners, led by Abrar Ahmed (2/23) and Saim Ayub (2/7), triggered a catastrophic collapse. The Netherlands lost their final six wickets for just 20 runs, finishing 147 all out in 19.5 overs. Salman Mirza was the pick of the bowlers, cleaning up the tail to finish with 3/24.
With 29 runs needed off 12 balls, Faheem Ashraf scored 24 runs in the penultimate over, bowled by Logan van Beek, and then hit the winnin boundary off the third ball of the last over to give his team the first points of the tournament.
Despite the scare, the 2009 champions will be relieved to start their campaign with a win, especially after having announced a boycott from their group-stage match against India.
Inputs from Agency