Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener followed a script only they seem capable of writing. Comfort, chaos, panic and eventual survival.
Chasing 148 against the Netherlands in Colombo, Pakistan appeared to have the game wrapped up early. The top order settled the nerves and the target looked routine. Naturally, that was when things began to unravel. A cluster of wickets brought the chase to a grinding halt and suddenly a straightforward finish turned into a full-blown scare.
“We have to do it the hard way,” Pakistan captan Salman Ali Agha said when asked how they had let the game that was comfortably in their reach drift away.
“Credit to Faheem. We tried well, knew they’d come hard. Held things really well. 147 we’d take on this pitch.”
“In the first 10 overs we batted well, then the two wickets fell and pressure came in. We need to absorb better. Conditions – Not easy to start, once we get in it gets easier. Once a batter gets set, they need to finish the game. We didn’t do that today. We want to change that,” he said.
For much of the afternoon they play remakably. Nine catches were taken, highlighted by a stunning effort from Babar Azam. After restricting the Netherlands to 147, Pakistan cruised to 98 for 2 inside 11 overs and appeared headed for a comfortable finish.
With Pakistan wobbling and defeat no longer unthinkable, Faheem Ashraf stepped in as the unlikely firefighter. A crucial drop gave him a lifeline, and he made sure it counted. His late hitting dragged Pakistan out of trouble and over the line, avoiding what would have been a deeply uncomfortable start to the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan had actually done most things right. The bowlers kept the Netherlands to 147, while the fielding — shockingly efficient by Pakistan standards — stood out. The platform was solid. The chase should have been uneventful.
But this is Pakistan, and uneventful was never really on the table.
The win keeps their campaign alive and their Super 8 hopes intact. It also served as an early reminder that with Pakistan, even the simplest games come with compulsory drama.
