“A last-over finish kept fans on the edge of their seats in an exciting start to the tournament”
Pakistan edged past the Netherlands in a thrilling opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Colombo. The Netherlands batted first and posted a competitive total of 147 runs, with Scott Edwards scoring 37 and Bas de Leede adding 30. Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Salman Mirza who took 3 wickets, along with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, and Saim Ayub, kept the Dutch batsmen under pressure throughout the innings.
Chasing 148, Pakistan had a shaky start and lost several wickets in the middle overs, finding themselves at 114 for 7. A tense situation emerged, but a late cameo from Faheem Ashraf, who smashed 29 not out off just 11 balls, turned the game around. His boundaries and sixes in the final overs helped Pakistan reach the target with three balls to spare.
The win gave Pakistan a strong start to their World Cup campaign. The Netherlands, despite the loss, showed great fight and almost pulled off an upset, making it a match full of tension, drama, and last-minute heroics that thrilled cricket fans.