Faheem edges Pakistan past Netherlands in tense win: T20 World Cup No 1 (SSC)

Pakistan opened their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a tense 3-wicket win over the Netherlands in Colombo.

Asked to bat first, the Dutch side fought hard but were bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs, with Pakistan’s bowlers keeping things tight at the death to prevent a late surge.

In reply, Pakistan looked comfortable early before stumbling in the middle overs, turning the chase into a nervy affair. Sahibzada Farhan’s 47 anchored the innings, but it was

Faheem Ashraf’s explosive unbeaten 29 off 11 balls that sealed the result, as Pakistan reached 148/7 in 19.3 overs with three balls remaining to start their tournament on a winning note.

Pakistan 148 for 7 (Farhan 47, Faheem 29*, van Meekeren 2-20, Dutt 2-33) beat Netherlands 147 (Edwards 37, de Leede 30, Mirza 3-24, Ayub 2-7, Abrar 2-23, Nawaz 2-38) by three wickets

Feb 2026.