Pakistan opened their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a three-wicket victory over the Netherlands on Saturday.
Asked to bat first, the Netherlands made a promising start but lost momentum in the latter half of the innings as Pakistan’s bowlers tightened the screws. The Dutch were eventually bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs, failing to capitalise on their early platform.
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In the chase, opener Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with a fluent 47 off 31 balls, while Faheem Ashraf produced a late burst, smashing an unbeaten 29 off just 11 deliveries. Ashraf’s cameo ensured Pakistan crossed the line with three balls to spare.
For the Netherlands, Paul van Meekeren (2/20) and Aryan Dutt (2/33) were the standout performers with the ball, keeping the contest alive until the final overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers were led by Salman Mirza, who picked up three wickets for 24 runs, while Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed provided key breakthroughs to restrict the Dutch innings.
Brief scores
Netherlands: 147 all out in 19.5 overs
(Scott Edwards 37, Bas de Leede 30; Salman Mirza 3/24, Saim Ayub 2/7, Mohammad Nawaz 2/38, Abrar Ahmed 2/23)
Pakistan: 148/7 in 19.3 overs
(Sahibzada Farhan 47, Faheem Ashraf 29*; Paul van Meekeren 2/20, Aryan Dutt 2/33)
(By PTI Inputs)
