PAK beat NED by three wickets in a cliff-hanger in the T20 WC opener
Faheem Ashraf's late blitz helped Pakistan escape from a losing position
The Dutch had earlier posted 147 in 19.5 overs
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 started with a group A match between Pakistan and the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. The Dutch, asked to set a target in the tournament opener by the former champions, got off to a breezy start, and were looking to post a total in excess of the average score at the venue.
Shaheen Afridi was asked to bowl the first over of the match and the tournament and the lanky pacer ended up giving away nine runs in his opening over.
It was Michael Levitt of the Netherlands who scored the first boundary of the tournament as he flicked the Pakistan ace bowler to the square region with ease.
However, the first wicket-taker of the tournament was Pakistan's Salman Mirza who removed Max O'Dowd in the fourth over of the Netherlands innings.
Speaking of the match, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf emerged as the hero for Pakistan, hammering 29 off 11 balls in a stunning late assault to snatch a dramatic three-wicket win over the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup opener on Saturday.
Chasing 148 for a win, Pakistan were 90 for 2 at the halfway stage but lost wickets in a heap as they were 114 for 7 in 16.1 overs, needing 34 more runs.
However, Ashraf's late blitz and a dropped catch from O'Dowd helped the Men In Green cross the finishing line and break Dutch hearts in Colombo.
(With PTI inputs)
