The Pakistan vs Netherlands T20 match delivered a tense finish as Faheem Ashraf’s late hitting guided Pakistan to a narrow victory in the final over on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan reached 147 for 7 in 19.3 overs. The hosts survived heavy pressure after the Netherlands tightened the game during the middle overs.
Pakistan began the chase with confidence. Openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provided early momentum. Ayub set the tone with a quick 24 off 13 balls before spinner Aryan Dutt dismissed him.
Farhan continued positively and built a steady partnership with Captain Salman Ali Agha. The pair kept the scoring rate healthy before Dutt removed Agha for 12, leaving Pakistan at 53 for 2.
Farhan anchored the innings and played with composure. Babar Azam took time to settle as the Netherlands increased control through tight bowling.
Victory in the first game of the ICC #T20WorldCup 2026 ✨
Fireworks from @iFaheemAshraf sees Pakistan through 🏏#PAKvNED | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/fwdsen0r8R
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 7, 2026Farhan looked set for a half-century but fell for 47 off 31 balls to Roelof van der Merwe. The dismissal reduced Pakistan to 98 for 3 and shifted momentum.
Van der Merwe struck again in the same over, dismissing Usman Khan for a duck. Pakistan then lost momentum as another middle-order batter struggled to rotate the strike.
Pressure mounted during the final phase of the chase. Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan fell cheaply in the last five overs, leaving the outcome uncertain.
With the required rate climbing, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi remained calm. Ashraf changed the game with powerful strokes at the death.
He struck consecutive sixes and found the boundary with authority. Faheem finished unbeaten on 29 off 11 balls, including two fours and three sixes, to seal victory in the final over.
2️⃣9️⃣* off 1️⃣1️⃣ balls
Remarkable hitting from @iFaheemAshraf earns him player of the match award 💫#PAKvNED | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/WsY4cQldKs
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 7, 2026Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers produced a disciplined effort to restrict the Netherlands to 147.
Dutch openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd started brightly and found regular boundaries during the powerplay. Levitt applied early pressure with aggressive intent.
Pakistan made the breakthrough in the fourth over when Salman Mirza dismissed O’Dowd. Mohammad Nawaz followed up by removing Levitt for 24 with support from sharp fielding.
Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann attempted to rebuild the innings. Ackermann struck boundaries but fell to Abrar Ahmed, halting the Netherlands’ progress.
Read: Pakistan vs Netherlands T20 World Cup: Khawaja Nafay Likely to Open
The Netherlands crossed 100 runs in the 13th over. Nawaz responded by dismissing de Leede, while Abrar removed captain Scott Edwards soon after.
Saim Ayub then struck twice, dismissing Logan van Beek and Zach Lion-Cachet. Shaheen Shah Afridi added another wicket before Mirza wrapped up the innings.
Salman Mirza led the bowling attack with three wickets. Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub claimed two wickets each, while Shaheen Afridi picked up one.
