Pakistan’s tense three-wicket win over the Netherlands in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 has once again exposed their long-standing weakness under pressure, and this time, India’s Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik did not hold back in their assessment.
Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik expressed anger at Pakistan after the win against Netherlands.
Chasing a modest target of 148 runs, Pakistan were in complete control right from the start. They scored 61 runs in the powerplay and were at 98 for 2 after nine overs. At that time the match seemed almost over. But as soon as the wicket of Sahibzada Farhan fell, everything changed.
With 98/2, Pakistan suddenly fell into a state of anarchy. In a shocking collapse, five wickets fell for just 16 runs, leaving their score at 114/7. Rahane highlighted that this pattern has been prevalent in Pakistan for years, especially while chasing, where the loss of one or two wickets often leads to “panic”.
Also read: ‘Ya Allah, drop ho jaaye’: Faheem Ashraf credits divine intervention for Pakistan’s jailbreak against Netherlands
Rahane says Pakistan cannot afford nervousness, mentions India’s game
“We have always seen this about Pakistan; after one or two wickets, especially when chasing, they get very nervous. Yes. So, we have seen this many times,” Ajinkya Rahane said on Cricbuzz.
He also said that it would be really interesting what Pakistan would have said if Netherlands had defeated them, as they could not afford to lose points by boycotting India’s game if they wanted to advance in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Mental error against Netherlands
Well, Rahane also stressed that such a collapse is worrying for Pakistan, especially against a team like Netherlands, which does not play regular cricket. He felt that Pakistan may have become overconfident after their strong start and then succumbed to survival under pressure.
Rahane further added, “Sometimes when you play teams like the Netherlands, you get overconfident or complacent. They started really well, but when they started losing wickets, it was always about the fear of losing the game. They are very emotional. They play really good cricket, but they are very nervous. Once they lose 1-2 wickets, they get nervous quickly.”
Exactly like Pakistan: Dinesh Karthik
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has described the collapse as a very typical Pakistan moment. The former wicketkeeper-batsman said that Pakistan scores runs quickly, feels that the game is under control and then when the wicket breaks its rhythm, it falls apart like a house of cards.
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The cricket pundit also noted that the pitch was not easy, the fast bowlers were bowling tight lengths and creating movement, but this did not completely explain the jitters. However, Karthik was happy that Pakistan managed to defeat Netherlands as they have yet to agree to play India on February 15.
Dinesh Karthik said during the same discussion on Cricbuzz, “It’s exactly like doing what Pakistan did. Luckily, I think Faheem Ashraf has played a very brilliant role there. It’s good that they went ahead with the Netherlands because if they hadn’t, it would have been a big decision not to play India.”
‘They are very emotional’
The former Indian wicketkeeper also highlighted the emotional nature of the Pakistan team and said that emotions often fuel great performances, but when things start going wrong it can also lead to panic and that is what happened against the Netherlands.
Karthik concluded by saying, “I think they are a very emotional team. It’s almost like they play with their hands on their hearts. Sometimes it helps them but sometimes it doesn’t. But it shouldn’t be over-emotional.”
