PAK vs NED 1st T20 WC Match Highlights: PAK Won by 3 Wickets

Pakistan survived a heart-stopping thriller to begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a dramatic 3-wicket victory over Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. 

The Dutch nearly pulled off a monumental upset, defending 147 runs and reducing Pakistan from a comfortable 98/2 to a precarious 98/5 in just two overs. 

Netherlands seemed destined for victory when Pakistan slumped to 115/7, but Faheem Ashraf (25 off 9 balls) had other plans. 

In a dramatic 19th over that will be remembered for years, Ashraf launched Logan van Beek for three sixes and a four after Max O’Dowd dropped a crucial catch at long-on. 

Paul van Meekeren’s exceptional spell (2/20) and Aryan Dutt’s double strike (2/33) had brought Netherlands within touching distance of their biggest World Cup upset, but Pakistan’s nerve and Ashraf’s explosive hitting ultimately saw them home with 3 balls to spare in a match that swung wildly from start to finish.

Match Summary & Details

Netherlands First Innings Highlights

Netherlands started their T20 World Cup campaign positively, with openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd providing a solid foundation. Levitt particularly looked dangerous, racing to 24 off 15 balls with three boundaries and a six before falling to Mohammad Nawaz via a spectacular tag-team catch involving Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. 

Despite losing both openers inside the powerplay at 50/2, the Dutch maintained momentum through captain Scott Edwards (37 off 29 balls) and Bas de Leede (30 off 25 balls), who added crucial runs in the middle overs. However, Pakistan’s spinners struck back decisively. 

Mohammad Nawaz (2/38) removed the dangerous Bas de Leede, while Abrar Ahmed (2/23) dismissed both Colin Ackermann and Scott Edwards to trigger a collapse. 

From a promising 127/4, Netherlands lost their last six wickets for just 20 runs, with Salman Mirza (3/21) cleaning up the tail. Aryan Dutt’s late cameo (13 off 8) provided some late impetus, but 147 all out looked at least 20-30 runs short of what seemed achievable at the halfway mark.

Netherlands Innings Summary:

Pakistan Second Innings Highlights

Pakistan’s chase began explosively as Saim Ayub (24 off 13 balls with four boundaries and a six) and Sahibzada Farhan (47 off 31 balls) tore into the Dutch bowling, racing to 98/2 in 11 overs. 

The match seemed sealed, but then came one of the most dramatic collapses in T20 World Cup history. Paul van Meekeren produced a sensational double-wicket maiden in the 12th over, removing both Farhan and Usman Khan (0) to leave Pakistan at 98/4. 

Babar Azam (15) fell in the very next over to Roelof van der Merwe, and when Shadab Khan (8) and Mohammad Nawaz (6) departed off successive deliveries, Pakistan had incredibly slumped from 98/2 to 115/7. Netherlands sensed an upset for the ages. 

Enter Faheem Ashraf. With nerves fraying and 33 needed off 18 balls, Ashraf kept his composure. The turning point came in the 19th over when Max O’Dowd dropped a straightforward catch at long-on off the second ball. 

Reprieved, Ashraf unleashed fury, smashing two more sixes and a boundary in the same Logan van Beek over to plunder 24 runs. Pakistan needed just 5 off the final over, and Ashraf sealed victory with a boundary in the 20th over, bowled by Bas de Leede.

Pakistan Innings Summary: