Faheem Ashraf struck an unbeaten late cameo as Pakistan edged past the Netherlands by three wickets in a tense opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan reached 148 for seven in 19.3 overs after a dramatic finish that saw Faheem Ashraf seal the contest with three sixes under pressure. Earlier, the Netherlands were bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs after opting to bat first. Scott Edwards led the resistance with a 37-run knock, while Bas de Leede added 30. Pakistan’s bowling attack shared the spoils, with Salman Mirza claiming three wickets and Abrar Ahmed taking two.
Faheem Ashraf's sensational cameo guides Pakistan to a win in the #T20WorldCup 2026 opener 👊
— ICC (@ICC) February 7, 2026
He wins the @aramco POTM award 🥇 pic.twitter.com/BeTMbzOgJk
Pakistan’s reply began briskly, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring 47 off 31 balls and Saim Ayub contributing 24 from 13 deliveries. However, regular wickets in the middle overs stalled the chase and brought the Netherlands back into the contest.
With Pakistan struggling at 114 for seven, Faheem Ashraf turned the match on its head. His unbeaten 29 from 11 balls ensured Pakistan crossed the line with three balls to spare.
Faheem Ashraf was named Player of the Match for his decisive contribution with the bat.
Netherlands XI
Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (captain, wicket-keeper), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren.
Pakistan XI
Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk) Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf , Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
