Faheem’s Late Blitz Powers Pakistan Past Netherlands in T20 World Cup Opener
Colombo: Pakistan kicked off their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey with a nerve-racking three-wicket victory over the Netherlands on Saturday at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
Set a target of 148, Pakistan got over the line in the final over, ending their chase at seven wickets down after a tense finish.
The chase began positively as openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan set the tempo early. Saim played an aggressive cameo, smashing 24 from just 13 deliveries with four fours and a six, before spinner Aryan Dutt brought his stay to an end.
Farhan then paired up with skipper Salman Ali Agha to maintain the momentum, with the duo racing to 53 runs inside five overs. Dutt struck once more, dismissing Salman for 12 off eight balls, which halted Pakistan’s rapid start.
Farhan continued to hold one end, while Babar Azam took time to find his rhythm. The former captain eventually settled in and looked set for a half-century, but his knock of 47 from 31 balls — featuring four boundaries and two sixes — was cut short by Roelof van der Merwe in the 12th over.
Van der Merwe made it a double blow by removing Usman Khan for a duck on the very next ball, leaving Pakistan wobbling at 98 for three.
The pressure mounted as wickets continued to fall late in the innings. Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan were dismissed cheaply, managing six and eight runs respectively, as the Netherlands sensed an opportunity.
With the equation tightening, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi held their nerve. Faheem turned the game on its head with a blistering unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls, striking two fours and three sixes — including back-to-back maximums — to seal a memorable win for Pakistan.
Earlier, the Netherlands made a lively start after being sent in to bat. Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd attacked from the outset, with Levitt particularly aggressive during the powerplay.
The opening partnership was broken in the fourth over when Salman Mirza removed O’Dowd for five, aided by a neat catch from wicketkeeper Usman Khan. Mohammad Nawaz followed up with a key breakthrough, dismissing Levitt for a quick 24 off 15 balls. A spectacular relay effort from Babar Azam on the boundary, finished by Shaheen Afridi, completed the dismissal.
Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann rebuilt steadily, pushing the total past 50 within the powerplay. Abrar Ahmed broke the stand in the eighth over by trapping Ackermann, who scored 20 from 14 balls.
The Netherlands reached triple figures in the 13th over, but Nawaz struck again to remove de Leede for 30. Abrar then claimed his second scalp by dismissing skipper Scott Edwards, who had top-scored with 37 off 29 deliveries.
Saim Ayub chipped in with two quick wickets, sending Logan van Beek back for a first-ball duck and removing Zach Lion-Cachet for nine, which derailed the Dutch lower order. Shaheen Afridi accounted for Roelof van der Merwe, while Salman Mirza wrapped things up in the final over by dismissing Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren.
Salman Mirza was the standout bowler for Pakistan, finishing with figures of three for 24 in 3.5 overs. Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub picked up two wickets apiece, while Shaheen added one to cap off a disciplined bowling display.
