T20 World Cup: Faheem Ashraf’s late blitz seals Pakistan’s win over Netherlands
COLOMBO: Pakistan started their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a thrilling three-wicket win over the Netherlands on Saturday at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
Chasing 148, the men in green reached the target in the final over, finishing at seven wickets down. The openers laid the foundation, with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan providing early momentum. Saim led the charge with a brisk 24 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and a six, before falling to spinner Aryan Dutt.
Farhan then joined captain Salman Ali Agha to keep the scoring rate high, adding 50 runs by the fifth over. However, Dutt struck again, removing Salman Ali Agha for 12 off eight deliveries, leaving Pakistan at 53-2 in 4.5 overs.
Despite early setbacks, Farhan remained composed, anchoring the innings, while Babar Azam struggled initially. The right-handed batter fought back and inched closer to his ninth T20I fifty but was dismissed for 47 off 31 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes, by Roelof van der Merwe, leaving the team at 98-3 in 11.1 overs.
Van der Merwe struck again in the same over, sending Usman Khan back for a second-ball duck. Pakistan fell further behind as Babar Azam was dismissed cheaply for just 15 off 18 balls, putting additional pressure on the team from the Netherlands.
In the final five overs, Pakistan lost two more wickets as Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan fell for six and eight runs respectively, courtesy of Kyle Klein and Logan van Beek. Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi steadied the innings, with Ashraf hitting consecutive sixes and finishing unbeaten on 29 off 11 balls, including two fours and three sixes, to guide Pakistan to a memorable victory.
Batting first, the Netherlands made a brisk start as openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd found the boundary regularly, with Levitt leading the charge and putting early pressure on Pakistan’s bowlers.
The opening stand was broken in the fourth over when Salman Mirza dismissed O’Dowd for five off seven balls, with wicketkeeper Usman Khan completing the catch. Mohammad Nawaz then delivered a crucial breakthrough in the fifth over, removing the in-form Levitt for 24 off 15 balls, which included three fours and a six.
Babar Azam produced a brilliant effort on the boundary, leaping to stop the ball before relaying it to Shaheen Afridi, who held on to complete the catch. Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann steadied the innings and helped the Netherlands cross the 50-run mark inside the powerplay.
However, Abrar Ahmed struck in the eighth over, dismissing Ackermann for 20 off 14 balls, including four boundaries, to leave the Netherlands 65-3. The Netherlands reached 100 in the 13th over, with skipper Scott Edwards hitting a six off Nawaz. The left-arm spinner, however, had the final say, removing de Leede for 30 off 25 balls to make it 105-4.
Abrar claimed his second wicket by dismissing Edwards for a vital 37 off 29 balls. Saim Ayub then struck twice in the next over, removing Logan van Beek for a first-ball duck and Zach Lion-Cachet for nine, reducing the Netherlands to 129-7.
Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Roelof van der Merwe for four, while Salman Mirza wrapped up the innings in the final over, removing Aryan Dutt for 13 and Paul van Meekeren for a duck. Salman led the bowling attack, picking up three wickets for 24 runs in 3.5 overs. Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub claimed two wickets each, while Shaheen also chipped in with one. Web Desk
