The tournament opener was intense as Pakistan triumphed over the Netherlands in a thrilling finish, kicking off their T20 World Cup 2026 journey with a win. This Group A match took place on Saturday, February 7, at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. The Netherlands batted first, posting a total of 147 runs in 19.5 overs.
The Netherlands had a decent start, reaching 50 runs in the powerplay despite losing a couple of wickets. Key contributions came from Bas de Leede (30 off 25), Colin Ackermann (20 off 14), and captain Scott Edwards (37 off 29), building a foundation for their innings. However, Pakistan’s bowlers Salman Mirza (3-25), Abrar Ahmed (2-23), and Saim Ayub (2-7) made a strong comeback.
Pakistan began their chase aggressively, scoring 61-2 within the first six overs. In the 12th over, the Netherlands managed to regain control with a double-wicket maiden from Paul van Meekeren. Star batsman Babar Azam (15 off 18) also fell to a delivery from Aryan Dutt.
At one point, Pakistan needed 29 runs from the last 12 balls, but the situation changed dramatically in the penultimate over. Faheem Ashraf struck Logan van Beek for 24 runs in the 19th over, shifting the momentum. It took just four more deliveries for Pakistan to secure the win, with Ashraf finishing the match with a boundary.
For his outstanding performance under pressure, Ashraf was named Player of the Match. Pakistan’s next game is scheduled against the United States of America on February 10 at the same venue, while the Netherlands will face Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on the same day.
Meanwhile, here are the best memes from PAK vs NED, Match 1, T20 World Cup 2026
