Pakistan vs Netherlands, 1st Match, Group A, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Commentary

The 2026 T20 World Cup has started brightly and we nearly had our first upset of the tournament as well. Max O'Dowd - a senior player for Netherlands and how badly he'd have wished for that catch to stick. He missed and then Faheem Ashraf didn't give them a second chance. Points on the board for Pakistan and they'll be so relieved. Pakistan will next play the United States on the 10th while Netherlands take on Namibia on the same day. West Indies are batting first in the second match of the day. Switch tabs and enjoy all the action. For now, cheers and bye..

Faheem Ashraf | Player of the Match: We've been playing similar cricket for the past one year. So whatever job is given, we try to do it properly and in the best possible way. The heartbeat was fast, this kind wasn’t something new or the first time. So it was just about going out there and doing whatever we know how to do. With the batting partners, the discussion was to not give away our wicket. We can do it one over at a time. If we get 1 or 2 boundaries, we move closer. So, thank God, exactly what we wanted happened. (On the 19th over) When the ball was in the air, I kept praying for him to drop. We wanted to finish it quickly but sometimes it happens that your team collapses. In such situations, you have to keep your nerves under control. If you look at our team, even when we don’t play well, we keep our nerves in check, and because of that we get good results.

Salman Ali Agha | Pakistan Captain - We have to do it the hard way. But I think it was when we bowled, I think we really stuck down really well. With 148, I can take that any day. We batted well in the first 10 overs, but you have five, six bad overs, like if it's two, three bad overs, you get so far away from the game. But credit to obviously Faheem, the way he batted, I think he batted outstandingly well. (With the ball) I think we started well and we knew they were gonna come hard. But I think we pulled things really well. And 147, I think we will take in any game on this kind of pitch. They've been bowling well for like the last six months now (on the bowlers). And they have done it today as well. It's a complete bowling performance, I can say that. I think the first 10 (overs) was very good. We batted really well. And then they managed to pull wickets down. And then at that time, the pressure came in. And I think we need to absorb better when it comes to these kinds of games. Lovely batting conditions. If you sum up the conditions of batting. It's not easy to start, but once you get in, it's a good wicket to bat on. When someone gets in, we need to make sure that person will finish.

Scott Edwards | Netherlands Captain - We probably felt 160 probably was going to give us a fair chance. So we were a little bit under and we had to bowl well to get ourselves in there. And obviously a couple of spells from Roelof (van der Merwe) and Pauly (van Meekeran) got us right in the game. I think it's a pretty good wicket. Pakistan got it down to a run a ball at one stage there and Pauly bowled an over, I think he bowled a maiden or something (double-wicket maiden). And then one that went for not many to really get that run rate up. And, and the boys sort of jumped on that momentum. You know sometimes cricket can be a cruel game.

Stats by Shashikant Singh

PAK’s chasing of two halves
First 10 overs: 90/2, RR: 9.0
Next 9.3 overs: 58/5, RR: 6.10

24 runs by Faheem Ashraf in an over is joint0 most by a Pakistan batter in a WC match.

29 runs is the most Pakistan scored in the last two overs of a successful run chase in T20Is.

Highest target successfully chased in (19-20) overs in T20 WC
34 by AUS vs PAK, Gros Islet, 2010 SF
31 by WI vs AUS, Mirpur, 2014
31 by IND vs PAK, Melbourne, 2022
30 by SLvs IND, Gros Islet, 2010
29 by PAK vs NED, Colombo SSC, 2026*
27 by WI vs ENG, Kolkata, 2016 Final

Highest score at NO.8 or lower in a successful run chase (T20 WC)
34* (10) - Carlos Brathwaite (WI) vs ENG, Kolkata, 2016 final
32 (17) - Umar Gul (PAK) vs SA, Colombo RPS, 2012
29* (11) - Faheem Ashraf (PAK) vs NED, Colombo SSC, 2026*

14:26 Local Time, 08:56 GMT, 14:26 IST: Oh Netherlands - they kept plugging away, they kept chipping away and they nearly pushed Pakistan out of the contest. Then came the 19th over - Faheem Ashraf knew he had to play his shots, launched the first ball from Logan van Beek into the stands, but the drama was with the second ball as O'Dowd fumbled a simple catch at long-on - reprieved, Faheem went on to smash 2 more sixes and a four to all but end the contest. Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan had got Pakistan off to a flier, they were coasting along at 98 for 2, but this is Pakistan that we're talking about. Tell them about a collapse and they'll show how to do it - in a matter of a one double-wicket maiden, Farhan and Usman were sent packing, Babar fell in the next over - Shadab and Mohammad Nawaz plodded along, but they were soon dismissed off successive deliveries and the match had decisively swung towards Netherlands? Or so all thought, but not Faheem. Luck and then bravery ensured that Pakistan started the 2026 T20 WC with a win against their name. Paul van Meekeran was the pick with his 2 for 20, Aryan Dutt took 2 wickets - Netherlands came near, but it's Pakistan with the points today. Stay tuned for the presentations.

Just 5 needed off the last over, this is definitely Pakistan's game to lose now. Max O'Dowd, how costly will that dropped catch prove to be in the context of the tournament?

Klien has meanwhile gone down - looks like a bout of cramps and he's helped away from the field

29 needed off 12 balls - this is Netherlands's match to lose?