ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 had a dramatic debut PakistanWho were pushed to the brink before securing a tense three-wicket win Netherlands In the Group A opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. What seemed like a routine chase turns into a thriller Faheem Ashraf To ensure this, Pakistan launched their campaign with two crucial points and a breathtaking late attack.
Netherlands fought hard after being invited to bat
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Pakistan performed well early on but were never able to take the lead. took charge of Netherlands’ innings Scott EdwardsWhose 37 off 29 balls started the middle phase. received support from bass de leade And Michael LevittWhich helped the Dutch side recover from the initial setbacks.
Pakistan’s bowling effort was shared evenly. salman mirza While impressed by taking three wickets Abrar Ahmed And Mohammad Nawaz Glued together in two pieces. Despite regular wickets, the Netherlands continued to score runs and eventually posted a competitive score of 147 runs before being bowled out in the final over.
Bright start puts Pakistan in control before Netherlands fight back
Pakistan’s reply started in an impressive manner Saim Ayyub And Sahebzada Farhan Breaking off the Dutch attack. His aggressive strokeplay took Pakistan to 98 for 2, maintained firm control in the chase and looked to be heading towards victory.
However, the momentum quickly changed when the Netherlands counter-attacked with a double wicket. Farhan and Osman Khan moved quickly, and soon after the pressure was reported Babar Azam Fell while trying to handle the innings. What followed was Pakistan’s familiar wobble, as wickets kept falling and the required rate began to rise.
Netherlands experienced a famous upset on the opening day as Pakistan fell into further trouble. paul van meekeren Leading the attack with an excellent spell, taking two wickets for just 20 runs Aryan Dutt Also claimed two skulls. Pakistan’s wickets falling at regular intervals changed the contest decisively and the Dutch camp dared to dream.
See also: Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi took brilliant catches in the PAK vs NED match in T20 World Cup 2026.
Faheem Ashraf changed the game
Then came the decisive 19th over. Knowing that there was no option but to attack, Faheem attacked logan van beek Skyscraper six on the first ball. The drama intensified on the next delivery when Max O’Dowd Dropped a straight catch at long-on, which brought vital relief to Faheem.
From there, it was all about bravery and belief. Faheem took full advantage of his luck and won the match by hitting two more sixes and a four. His innings of 29 runs in just 11 balls changed the atmosphere, quenching Dutch hopes and leading to wild celebrations in the Pakistan camp.
Pakistan eventually crossed the win mark in just 19.3 overs, winning by three wickets in a match that was swinging wildly in both directions. Faheem was named player of the match for his match-winning cameo, while the Netherlands earned praise for taking a heavyweight team to the brink of victory.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Pakistan defeated Netherlands by 3 wickets.
– Faheem is a hero with the bat. 👏 pic.twitter.com/mUleOY05I5
– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 7 February 2026
Heartbreaking for the Netherlands. 💔
– The Dutch were close to creating history in Colombo, but a drop catch swung the result in Pakistan’s favour. pic.twitter.com/E2ZqUMvsED
– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) 7 February 2026
No surprises here! Faheem Ashraf wins player of the match award with his game-changing cameo#faheemashraf #T20WorldCup2026 #PAKvNED #crickettwitter pic.twitter.com/Ghx7GagTtf
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 7 February 2026
An important cameo from Faheem Ashraf leads Pakistan to victory #T20WorldCup opening batsman
📝: https://t.co/MB0N9eUpvK pic.twitter.com/bDjr74RC0a
– ICC (@ICC) 7 February 2026
Build a statue of Rana Faheem Ashraf in every city of Pakistan. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mw2QzMc1Yi
– Sherry. (@CallMeSheri1_) 7 February 2026
Pakistan won the opening match of the tournament against a weak team by just 3 wickets.
If Faheem Ashraf had not missed the catch, Pakistan would have lost the match.#PAKvNED #T20WC2026– Isha M (@menisha) 7 February 2026
29* off 11 balls for Faheem Ashraf at a strike rate of 264. He single-handedly won the match for Pakistan ❤️❤️❤️ #T20WorldCup #faheemashraf pic.twitter.com/oRMdIgYEQa
– Zehanzaib (@zehanxafar1) 7 February 2026
Faheem Ashraf missed the catch on the second ball of the 19th over.
He scored 16 more runs in the game changing over.
#PAKvsNED pic.twitter.com/Z6aX8P9p2f
– Dr. Adnan Ali (@DrMalko) 7 February 2026
🚨First upset of T20 World Cup 2026!
Pakistan beat Netherlands by 3 wickets after a last-minute upset in Colombo.
The Dutch team got a historic victory due to Faheem Ashraf’s missed catch. 💔#PAKvNED #babarazam #BabarAzam𓃵 #NEDvPAK pic.twitter.com/aompjwB2Gi– Rishabh (@rishab70113) 7 February 2026
2️⃣9️⃣* 1️⃣1️⃣ balls
Faheem Ashraf played an extraordinary inning for Pakistan in the first game of the T20 World Cup 2026 and won the Player of the Match award. #PAKvNED #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/IhZ3plFUeH
– M Suleman (@MSuleman479494) 7 February 2026
They had to lose this match because of that one drop catch by Faheem Ashraf.#T20WC2026 #Netherlands #PAKvNED #FaheemSharf #babarazam https://t.co/7OvxfGzfUd
– HyperX (@hyperx248) 7 February 2026
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