Faheem Ashraf’s Last-Over Fireworks Spare Pakistan Blushes in T20 World Cup Opener. In a match that swung like a pendulum between a comfortable cruise and a historic disaster, Pakistan survived a massive scare against the Netherlands to open their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a three-wicket victory. Under the sweltering heat of Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, it took a breathtaking cameo from Faheem Ashraf (29* off 11) to rescue the “Green Shirts” from the brink of a catastrophic upset.
Quick Match Overview
Toss: Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl.
Netherlands: 147 all out (19.5 overs)
Pakistan: 148/7 (19.3 overs)
Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets with 3 balls to spare.
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (29* off 11 balls).
Match Summary: A Tale of Two Collapses
Faheem Ashraf’s Last-Over Fireworks Spare Pakistan Blushes in T20 World Cup Opener.The narrative of the match was defined by dramatic collapses on both sides. After Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to field, the Netherlands looked poised for a formidable total. At 105/3 in the 13th over, the Dutch were eyeing 170+. However, Pakistan’s spinners—led by Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz—choked the scoring rate, while Salman Mirza’s three-wicket burst saw the Netherlands lose 7 wickets for just 42 runs, eventually being bundled out for 147.
Pakistan’s chase began with characteristic flair. Sahibzada Farhan (47 off 31) and Saim Ayub (24 off 13) propelled Pakistan to 90/2 at the halfway mark. Then, the “Pakistan collapse” archetype took over. The middle order imploded against the veteran Paul van Meekeren, slipping to 114/7. With 29 runs needed off the last 12 balls, the Dutch were favorites. Enter Faheem Ashraf: a 24-run onslaught in the 19th over turned the game on its head, sealing the win with three balls to spare.
Detailed Match Scorecard: Player-by-Player Statistics
Netherlands Innings: 147 All Out (19.5 Overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Michael Levitt | c Shaheen b Nawaz | 24 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 160.00 |
| Max O’Dowd | c Usman b Mirza | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71.42 |
| Bas de Leede | c Babar b Nawaz | 30 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Colin Ackermann | b Abrar | 20 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 142.85 |
| Scott Edwards (C) | c Farhan b Abrar | 37 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 127.58 |
| Zach Lion-Cachet | c Nawaz b Ayub | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 112.50 |
| Logan van Beek | c Agha b Ayub | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Aryan Dutt | c Farhan b Mirza | 13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 162.50 |
| R. van der Merwe | c Agha b Shaheen | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 44.44 |
| Kyle Klein | Not Out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| P. van Meekeren | c Usman b Mirza | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| TOTAL | (All Out, 19.5 Overs) | 147 |
Pakistan Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Salman Mirza | 3.5 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 6.26 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 4.0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 5.75 |
| Saim Ayub | 1.0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 4.0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 9.50 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 3.0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 9.33 |
| Shadab Khan | 4.0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 6.50 |
Pakistan Innings: 148/7 (19.3 Overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Sahibzada Farhan | c Merwe b Meekeren | 47 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 151.61 |
| Saim Ayub | c Merwe b Dutt | 24 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 184.61 |
| Salman Agha (C) | c Levitt b Dutt | 12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Babar Azam | c Klein b Merwe | 15 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Usman Khan (WK) | b Meekeren | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Shadab Khan | c Edwards b van Beek | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | c Edwards b Klein | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 46.15 |
| Faheem Ashraf | Not Out | 29 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 263.63 |
| Shaheen Afridi | Not Out | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55.55 |
| TOTAL | (7 Wickets, 19.3 Overs) | 148 |
Netherlands Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| P. van Meekeren | 4.0 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 5.00 |
| Aryan Dutt | 4.0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 8.25 |
| Roelof v.d Merwe | 3.0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4.33 |
| Kyle Klein | 3.0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 7.66 |
| Logan van Beek | 4.0 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 11.50 |
| Bas de Leede | 1.3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 8.66 |
Key Moments & Player of the Match
The turning point arrived in the 19th over of Pakistan’s chase. Logan van Beek, who had been consistent until then, was taken to the cleaners by Faheem Ashraf. After being dropped on 7 by Max O’Dowd, Ashraf capitalised on the life, smashing three massive sixes in the over. That 24-run over effectively broke the spirit of the Dutch side.
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf for his match-winning 29* off 11 balls.
Tournament Context
This win is vital for Pakistan, especially after the controversy surrounding their forfeiture of the scheduled February 15 clash against India due to political tensions. With the points from that match already lost, every group game is now a “must-win” for Salman Agha’s men to ensure they qualify for the Super 8s.