Match Overview
The first match of the t20 world cup 2026 was played between pakistan and the Netherlands.
Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Pakistan won the match by 3 wickets.
The match went down to the final overs despite pakistan being under pressure.
The netherlands was close to pulling off a major upset.
A single dropped catch changed the result of the game.
🪙 Toss & First Innings
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first.
The netherlands batted first.
The netherlands were all out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs.
Total was competitive on a tricky pitch.
Pakistan bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals.
🇳🇱 netherlands Batting Highlights
Scott Edwards was the top scorer.
He made 37 runs off 29 balls.
His innings included 3 fours and 1 six.
Other batters failed to convert starts into big scores.
The middle-order collapse prevented a bigger total.
🇵🇰 pakistan Bowling Highlights
Salman mirza took 3 wickets — best figures for Pakistan.
Mohammad Nawaz took 2 wickets.
Abrar ahmed picked up 2 wickets.
Sam Ayub claimed 2 wickets
Shaheen Afridi took 1 wicket
The bowling unit restricted the netherlands to under 150
🎯 pakistan Chase Situation
Target: 148 runs
Pakistan struggled during the chase.
The team lost wickets at key moments.
Score pressure increased in the final overs.
Required 29 runs from the last 2 overs
Pakistan were 7 wickets down at that stage.
❌ Turning Point — Dropped Catch
Faheem Ashraf and shaheen Afridi were at the crease.
Faheem was Pakistan’s last major hope.
Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd dropped a simple catch of Faheem.
The catch dropped when Faheem had not scored much.
This mistake proved decisive.
🔥 Match-Winning Finish
After the lifeline, Faheem Ashraf attacked aggressively.
He scored 29 runs off 11 balls*
Hit 2 fours and 3 sixes.
Completely shifted momentum
Pakistan reached 148/7 in 19.3 overs.
🌟 Other pakistan Batting Contribution
Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 47 off 31 balls.
He hit 4 fours and 2 sixes.
No other batter crossed 30 runs.
Lower-order support helped finish the chase.
✅ Result Impact
Pakistan secured an opening win.
The netherlands lost a near-winning match.
The dropped catch became the defining moment.
A close finish set a strong tone for the tournament opener.
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