Netherlands vs Pakistan — 1st Match, (ICC Men’s T20 World Cup) - Result, Highlights & Full Scorecard
SCORECARD
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michael Levitt
c Shaheen Shah Afridi b Mohammad Nawaz
|
24 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 160 |
|
Max O'Dowd
c Usman Khan b Salman Mirza
|
5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71 |
|
Bas de Leede
c Babar Azam b Mohammad Nawaz
|
30 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 120 |
|
Colin Ackermann
b Abrar Ahmed
|
20 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 143 |
|
Scott Edwards
c Sahibzada Farhan b Abrar Ahmed
|
37 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 128 |
|
Zach Lion-Cachet
c Mohammad Nawaz b Saim Ayub
|
9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 113 |
|
Logan van Beek
c Agha Salman b Saim Ayub
|
🦆 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Aryan Dutt
c Sahibzada Farhan b Salman Mirza
|
13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 163 |
|
Roelof van der Merwe
c Agha Salman b Shaheen Shah Afridi
|
4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
|
Kyle Klein
not out
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
|
Paul van Meekeren
c Usman Khan b Salman Mirza
|
🦆 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 3 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 9.3 |
| Salman Mirza | 3.5 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 6.3 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 9.5 |
| Shadab Khan | 4 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 6.5 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 4 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 5.8 |
| Saim Ayub | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 7.0 |
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sahibzada Farhan
c van der Merwe b van Meekeren
|
47 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 152 |
|
Saim Ayub
c van der Merwe b Dutt
|
24 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 185 |
|
Salman Agha
c Levitt b Dutt
|
12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 150 |
|
Babar Azam
not out
|
15 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 88 |
|
Usman Khan
b van Meekeren
|
🦆 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Shadab Khan
not out
|
1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aryan Dutt | 3 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 9.7 |
| Logan van Beek | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.5 |
| Kyle Klein | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 10.0 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 2.3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4.4 |
| Paul van Meekeren | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 5.5 |
| Bas de Leede | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 |
Pakistan vs Netherlands — ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Match Preview
The Pakistan vs Netherlands fixture marks an important Group-A contest in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with both teams beginning their tournament campaign in Colombo. Pakistan arrive with strong recent performances and confidence, while the Netherlands look to bounce back after recent struggles against Bangladesh.
This opening match gives Pakistan a chance to continue their dominant form, while the Netherlands aim to challenge a stronger opponent with disciplined cricket.
Match Details — Pakistan vs Netherlands
Match: Pakistan vs Netherlands (Match 1)
Tournament: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Venue: Colombo
Match Date: February 7, 2026
Start Time
-
Local Venue Time (Sri Lanka): 11:00 AM
-
Pakistan Time (PKT): 10:30 AM
-
GMT: 05:30 AM
Team Form & Head-to-Head
Pakistan enter the tournament with strong momentum. In recent matches, Pakistan defeated Australia by 111 runs, highlighting their dominance with both bat and ball. Earlier in January, Pakistan also secured a 7-run victory, showing their ability to defend totals under pressure.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, struggled in their recent series against Bangladesh. Despite some competitive individual performances, consistency remains a challenge for the side heading into the World Cup.
Pakistan have historically dominated this matchup in international cricket, entering the contest as the more experienced side in ICC tournaments.
Venue & Conditions — Colombo
The Colombo surface is expected to provide balanced conditions, offering assistance to both batters and bowlers depending on execution. Teams with stronger bowling attacks and middle-over control are likely to benefit.
Sub-continent conditions often reward spin bowling and disciplined pace variations, which could play a role in this match.
Key Batters to Watch
⭐ Michael Levitt (Netherlands) — Scored 378 runs in 7 matches, averaging 30.71 with a strike rate of 140.56, making him one of the Netherlands’ most aggressive top-order batters.
⭐ Max O’Dowd (Netherlands) — Accumulated 275 runs in 9 matches, averaging 45.83 with a strike rate of 138.88, providing stability at the top.
⭐ Saim Ayub (Pakistan) — Scored 267 runs in 10 matches, averaging 26.7 with a strike rate of 136.77, capable of giving Pakistan fast starts.
⭐ Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan) — Contributed 260 runs in 10 matches, averaging 32.5 with a strike rate of 146.66, playing a key middle-order role.
Key Bowlers to Watch
⭐ Kyle Klein (Netherlands) — Took 12 wickets in 8 matches, economy 9.38, providing wicket-taking ability.
⭐ Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands) — Claimed 9 wickets, economy 6.81, one of Netherlands’ most reliable bowlers.
⭐ Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan) — Picked up 18 wickets in 10 matches, economy 6.10, an important spin option.
⭐ Abrar Ahmed (Pakistan) — Took 15 wickets in 9 matches, economy 5.77, effective in middle overs.
Match Prediction — Pakistan vs Netherlands
Pakistan bring greater squad depth and recent winning momentum into this PAK vs NED World Cup opener. Their bowling attack and middle-order balance give them a strong advantage in Colombo conditions.
The Netherlands will depend on their top-order batting and disciplined bowling to remain competitive. If they execute their plans well, they can push Pakistan into a close contest.
Pakistan, however, enter the match as favorites based on recent performances and overall team balance.
Match Squad
Netherlands
Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards, Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren
Pakistan
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
Pakistan vs Netherlands Match Summary — ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Pakistan (PAK) defeated Netherlands (NED) by 3 wickets in a tense ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group match at Colombo. Chasing 148, Pakistan reached 148/7 in 19.3 overs, finishing the game in the final over after a competitive bowling performance earlier restricted Netherlands to 147/10 in 19.5 overs.
The match remained balanced throughout, with Netherlands fighting back repeatedly before Pakistan’s lower-order finishing sealed the result.
1st Innings — Netherlands Batting (NED)
Netherlands posted 147 all out, thanks largely to captain Scott Edwards and middle-order contributions.
Batters
NED
Scott Edwards ⭐ 37 (29), 4 fours, SR 127.59
Bas de Leede 30 (26), 2 fours, SR 115.38
Michael Levitt 24 (15), 5 fours, SR 160.00
Colin Ackermann 20 (14), 4 fours, SR 142.86
Aryan Dutt 13 (8), 2 sixes, SR 162.50
Bowlers
PAK
Salman Mirza ⭐ 3.5–0–24–3, ECO 6.30 🎯
Mohammad Nawaz 4–0–38–2, ECO 9.50
Abrar Ahmed 4–0–23–2, ECO 5.80
Shaheen Afridi 3–0–28–1, ECO 9.30
Shadab Khan 4–0–26–0, ECO 6.50
Pakistan’s bowling unit controlled the middle overs, with Salman Mirza’s three wickets proving decisive in preventing Netherlands from crossing the 160 mark.
2nd Innings — Pakistan Batting (PAK)
Pakistan’s chase began aggressively but turned into a pressure situation after regular wickets. The lower order eventually guided the team home.
Batters
PAK
Sahibzada Farhan ⭐ 47 (31), 4 fours, 2 sixes, SR 151.61
Faheem Ashraf ⭐ 29 (11), 2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 263.64 🔥
Saim Ayub 24 (13), 4 fours, SR 184.62
Salman Agha 12 (8), 3 fours, SR 150.00
Babar Azam 15 (18), 1 four, SR 83.33
Bowlers
NED
Aryan Dutt 4–0–33–2, ECO 8.20
Paul van Meekeren ⭐ 4–1–20–2, ECO 5.00 🎯
Logan van Beek 4–0–46–1, ECO 11.50
Kyle Klein 3–0–23–1, ECO 7.70
Roelof van der Merwe 3–0–13–1, ECO 4.30
Netherlands’ bowlers kept the chase alive, especially Paul van Meekeren, who bowled a tight spell with two wickets.
Match Turning Point
The decisive moment came in the death overs when Faheem Ashraf smashed 29 off 11 balls, shifting momentum back to Pakistan. His explosive finishing ensured Pakistan crossed the target with three balls remaining.
Pakistan’s powerplay scoring and middle-order stability also played an important role in keeping the required rate under control