Pak vs Ned T20 World Cup 2026 match today Pakistan defeated Netherlands by 3 wickets in the opening match of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo on February 7, 2026.
The T20 World Cup 2026 kicked off with a nail-biting thriller as Pakistan narrowly escaped defeat against Netherlands, winning by just 3 wickets with only 3 balls remaining. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf emerged as Pakistan’s hero with an explosive cameo of 29 runs off 11 balls that turned the match on its head.
Match Details: Pak vs Ned T20 World Cup 2026
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Colombo, Sri Lanka
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Toss: Pakistan won and elected to bowl first
Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (29* off 11 balls)
Netherlands Innings: 147 All Out in 19.5 Overs
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and invited Netherlands to bat first on a grassy wicket at the SSC Ground. The Dutch team started aggressively as Michael Levitt dispatched the very first ball of the tournament for a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Netherlands raced to 50/2 in the powerplay with Michael Levitt (24 off 15 balls) and Max O’Dowd providing a solid start. However, Pakistan’s spinners began to dominate the middle overs.
Key Moments in Netherlands Innings:
- Colin Ackermann’s counter-attack helped Netherlands reach 50/2 at powerplay
- Captain Scott Edwards top-scored with 37 runs off 29 balls
- Bas de Leede contributed 30 runs off 25 balls
- Netherlands collapsed from 105/3 to 129/7 as spinners took control
- Last 6 wickets fell for just 20 runs
Pakistan Bowling Figures:
- Salman Mirza: 3/24 (Best bowling figures)
- Saim Ayub: 2/7
- Mohammad Nawaz: 2/38
- Abrar Ahmed: 2/23
- Shaheen Shah Afridi: 1/28
Saim Ayub, the No. 1 ranked T20 all-rounder, was exceptional with the ball, taking 2 wickets in one over during the death overs. Pakistan’s fielding was outstanding with 9 out of 10 wickets being catching dismissals.
Pakistan Chase: Drama Unfolds in Colombo
Chasing 148 runs, Pakistan started brilliantly with openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan launching an aggressive attack.
Pakistan’s Innings Breakdown:
Strong Start:
- Saim Ayub smashed 24 runs off 13 balls (4 fours, 1 six) before being dismissed by Aryan Dutt
- Sahibzada Farhan played a magnificent knock of 47 runs off 31 balls
- Pakistan reached 61/2 in the powerplay
Mid-Innings Collapse:
- Aryan Dutt struck twice in the powerplay, removing both Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha
- Pakistan cruised to 90/2 at halfway but then lost momentum
- The score tumbled from 98/2 to 100/5 as Netherlands fought back
- Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shadab Khan all fell cheaply
- Pakistan slipped to 114/7 in 16.1 overs, needing 34 runs from 23 balls
Faheem Ashraf’s Match-Winning Blitz:
With Pakistan staring at defeat, Faheem Ashraf walked in at number 8 and changed the game completely. Max O’Dowd dropped a crucial catch when Ashraf was on 7, and the Pakistan all-rounder made Netherlands pay dearly.
In the 19th over bowled by Logan van Beek, Faheem Ashraf unleashed fury:
- Ball 1: SIX over long-on (dropped catch by O’Dowd)
- Ball 2: Two runs
- Ball 3: SIX over square leg
- Ball 4: FOUR through point
- Ball 5: SIX over the sightscreen
- Total: 24 runs in the over
This devastating assault brought Pakistan from 119/7 to 143/7, needing just 5 runs from the final over. Ashraf finished the match with a boundary off Bas de Leede with 3 balls remaining.
Pakistan Batting Scorecard:
- Sahibzada Farhan: 47 (31 balls)
- Faheem Ashraf: 29* (11 balls) – Player of the Match
- Saim Ayub: 24 (13 balls)
- Salman Agha: 12 (8 balls)
- Babar Azam: 18 (16 balls)
Netherlands Bowling:
- Aryan Dutt: 2/33
- Paul van Meekeren: 2/20
- Logan van Beek: 1/46 (Most expensive spell for Netherlands in T20 World Cup history)
- Roelof van der Merwe: 1/23
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf
Faheem Ashraf was awarded Player of the Match for his incredible 29 runs off just 11 balls, which included 2 fours and 3 sixes. His strike rate of 263.64 in the crucial death overs proved the difference between victory and defeat for Pakistan.
Key Statistics from Pak vs Ned T20 World Cup 2026
- Pakistan has now won 6 out of 7 T20I matches against Netherlands
- This was Pakistan’s 24th T20I match in the last 9 months
- Pakistan came into this match after a 3-0 series sweep over Australia
- Netherlands hadn’t played competitive T20I cricket since June 2025
- Saim Ayub maintained his dominance against pace bowling in 2026 with a strike rate of 217.64
- Nine of the ten Netherlands wickets were caught dismissals, showcasing Pakistan’s excellent fielding
Where to Watch Pak vs Ned T20 World Cup 2026
TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network (India)
Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website
Languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
Final Scorecard
Netherlands: 147 all out in 19.5 overs
(Scott Edwards 37, Bas de Leede 30; Salman Mirza 3/24, Saim Ayub 2/7)
Pakistan: 148/7 in 19.3 overs
(Sahibzada Farhan 47, Faheem Ashraf 29*; Aryan Dutt 2/33, Paul van Meekeren 2/20)
Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (Pakistan)
Conclusion
The Pak vs Ned T20 World Cup 2026 opener delivered everything cricket fans love – early momentum, middle-order collapse, brilliant bowling, and a dramatic finish. Faheem Ashraf’s fearless hitting under pressure saved Pakistan from what would have been an embarrassing defeat in the tournament opener.
Pakistan now has 2 points but will need to address their batting inconsistencies as the tournament progresses. For Netherlands, this near-victory proves they belong on the world stage and can challenge even the top-ranked teams.
Stay tuned to PSLCricket.com for more T20 World Cup 2026 live scores, match results, and detailed analysis of all Pakistan matches.
