Colombo, February 7, 2026: Pakistan survived a dramatic middle-order collapse to defeat a resilient Netherlands side in a nerve-wracking opener of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground on Saturday, thanks to an explosive cameo by Faheem Ashraf.
Chasing 148 for victory, Pakistan looked in serious trouble after a flurry of wickets left them needing 29 runs from the final two overs. Faheem, batting at number eight, rose to the occasion with a blistering 29* off just 11 balls. He smashed three sixes and a four in the penultimate over against Logan van Beek and sealed the win with a boundary off the final ball, finishing unbeaten and steering the Green Shirts to a memorable victory with three deliveries to spare.
Earlier, opener Saim Ayub set the tone with a quickfire 24 off 13 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six before falling to Aryan Dutt in the third over. Skipper Salman Ali Agha and Sahibzada Farhan maintained the brisk scoring, taking Pakistan past 50 in the fifth over, though Agha departed for 12 off 8 deliveries.
Farhan, in partnership with Babar Azam, kept Pakistan cruising at 98-2 in 11 overs. However, the Netherlands mounted a spectacular comeback, reducing Pakistan from 98-2 to 114-7 in just two overs. Paul van Meekeren triggered the collapse in the 12th over, removing Farhan and Usman Khan (duck) without conceding a run. Roelof van der Merwe then dismissed Babar Azam for 15 in the following over. Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan also fell cheaply, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble at 114-7 before Faheem’s heroics clinched the win.
Pakistan’s bowlers had earlier restricted the Netherlands to 147 in 19.5 overs, after being asked to field first. The Dutch side started strongly, with Michael Levitt hitting a boundary off the first ball and scoring 28 runs in the first three overs without losing a wicket.
Pakistan fought back through timely breakthroughs. Salman Mirza removed Max O’Dowd, while Mohammad Nawaz struck in the fielding department, claiming Michael Levitt’s wicket after a spectacular reflex catch by Babar Azam near the boundary, with Shaheen Afridi completing the catch.
Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann steadied the Dutch innings, taking them past 50 runs in the powerplay. However, Abrar Ahmed dismissed Ackermann for 20 off 14 balls and de Leede for 30 off 25 balls, while Saim Ayub removed Logan van Beek and Zach Lion-Cachet in successive deliveries. Shaheen Afridi took Roelof van der Merwe for four, and Salman Mirza wrapped up the innings by dismissing Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren in the final over.
Salman Mirza led Pakistan’s bowling effort with 3 wickets for 24 runs in 3.5 overs, while Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub took 2 wickets each, complemented by a single wicket from Shaheen Afridi.
The thrilling win showcased Pakistan’s resilience and depth, with Faheem Ashraf emerging as the unlikely hero in a tense chase, keeping the team alive and securing three valuable points in the opening match of the tournament.
