Pakistan vs Netherlands T20 World Cup 2026: Full Scorecard, Playing XI, Partnerships and Match Analysis

Match Result
Pakistan: 148/7 (19.3 overs)
Netherlands: 147 all out (19.5 overs)
Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (29* off 11)
Venue: SSC Colombo | Date: February 7, 2026

The pakistan national cricket team vs netherlands national cricket team match scorecard from ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tells the story of a chase that nearly collapsed. Pakistan defeated Netherlands by 3 wickets in Match 1, Group A at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. Chasing 148, Pakistan collapsed from 98/2 to 114/7 before Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 29 off 11 balls sealed victory with three balls remaining. It was not a comfortable win. It was a crisis managed at the last moment.

Key Takeaways

• Pakistan’s middle-order lost 5 wickets for just 16 runs between overs 11 and 16, nearly surrendering a manageable chase
• Faheem Ashraf’s 29 off 11 balls at a strike rate of 263.64 was the decisive innings that rescued Pakistan from a losing position
• Netherlands’ bowling unit -led by Paul van Meekeren (2/20) and Roelof van der Merwe (1/13) -significantly outperformed expectations against a full-strength Pakistan lineup

Match at a Glance

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first at SSC Colombo on February 7, 2026. Netherlands batted through 19.5 overs to post 147 all out, with Scott Edwards top-scoring at 37 off 29 balls. Pakistan then began their chase aggressively but suffered a dramatic collapse before Faheem Ashraf sealed the result in the penultimate over.

Detail	Info
Tournament	ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Group A, Match 1
Venue	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Date	Saturday, February 7, 2026
Toss	Pakistan won, elected to bowl
Result	Pakistan won by 3 wickets (3 balls remaining)
Player of the Match	Faheem Ashraf (29* off 11)
Umpires	Kumar Dharmasena, Wayne Knights
TV Umpire	Richard Illingworth
Match Referee	Richie Richardson

50-Word Match Summary

Pakistan beat Netherlands by 3 wickets in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 opener on February 7 at SSC Colombo. Netherlands posted 147 all out, with Scott Edwards scoring 37. Pakistan lost 5 wickets for 16 runs in the middle overs before Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 29 off 11 balls sealed the win in 19.3 overs.

Playing XI

The playing eleven selections offer critical context for understanding the pakistan national cricket team vs netherlands national cricket team match scorecard -both teams made specific tactical choices that directly influenced the match outcome.

Pakistan Playing XI

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed Pakistan included Salman Mirza as a pace bowling option on debut and retained Abrar Ahmed as their primary spin weapon. The presence of Faheem Ashraf at number eight gave the lineup a lower-order hitting dimension that ultimately proved decisive.

Netherlands Playing XI

Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c/wk), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren Netherlands opted for a balanced combination with Roelof van der Merwe providing left-arm spin and Paul van Meekeren as their primary wicket-taking pace bowler. The selection proved well-judged -both players made significant contributions.

Netherlands Innings: 147 All Out (19.5 Overs)

Netherlands posted 147 all out in 19.5 overs, with Scott Edwards (37) providing the innings’ anchor. After losing two top-order wickets inside 4.2 overs, the middle order rebuilt through a series of compact partnerships before the lower order added crucial runs in the final four overs. Pakistan’s best bowler was Salman Mirza with 3/24 on his T20 World Cup debut.

Netherlands Batting Scorecard

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Michael Levitt	c S Afridi b M Nawaz	24	15	3	1	160.00
Max O’Dowd	c U Khan b S Mirza	5	7	1	0	71.43
Bas de Leede	c B Azam b M Nawaz	30	25	4	0	120.00
Colin Ackermann	b A Ahmed	20	14	4	0	142.86
Scott Edwards (c/wk)	c S Farhan b A Ahmed	37	29	3	1	127.59
Zach Lion-Cachet	c M Nawaz b S Ayub	9	8	1	0	112.50
Logan van Beek	c SA Agha b S Ayub	0	1	0	0	0.00
Aryan Dutt	c S Farhan b S Mirza	13	8	2	0	162.50
Roelof van der Merwe	c SA Agha b S Afridi	4	9	0	0	44.44
Kyle Klein	Not out	2	2	0	0	100.00
Paul van Meekeren	c U Khan b S Mirza	0	1	0	0	0.00
Extras	(w 2, lb 1)	3
Total	19.5 Overs	147/10

Fall of Wickets -Netherlands

Wicket	Score	Batter	Over
1st	28	Max O’Dowd	3.1
2nd	31	Michael Levitt	4.2
3rd	65	Colin Ackermann	7.6
4th	105	Bas de Leede	12.4
5th	127	Scott Edwards	15.6
6th	128	Logan van Beek	16.2
7th	129	Zach Lion-Cachet	16.4
8th	139	Roelof van der Merwe	18.4
9th	147	Aryan Dutt	19.4
10th	147	Paul van Meekeren	19.5

Pakistan Bowling Analysis

Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ
Shaheen Shah Afridi	3	0	28	1	9.33
Salman Mirza	3.5	0	24	3	6.26
Mohammad Nawaz	4	0	38	2	9.50
Shadab Khan	4	0	26	0	6.50
Abrar Ahmed	4	0	23	2	5.75
Saim Ayub	1	0	7	2	7.00

How Netherlands Built 147

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Netherlands lost both openers inside 4.2 overs with only 31 on the board. The innings required rebuilding, and Bas de Leede (30 off 25) and Colin Ackermann (20 off 14) provided exactly that through a 34-run third-wicket partnership. Scott Edwards was the innings’ backbone. He absorbed pressure, managed the bowling changes, and fell at 127 in the 16th over -by which point the total had enough substance. The lower order chipped in 21 more runs across the final four overs to push the total past 145. What made 147 competitive was not its size but its psychological weight. A target of 148 in T20 cricket is never truly straightforward, especially when a batting collapse makes it feel bigger than the number suggests.

Pakistan Innings: 148/7 (19.3 Overs)

Pakistan chased down 148 in 19.3 overs to win by 3 wickets, but the chase was far from routine. After a strong powerplay of 61/2, Pakistan’s middle order dismantled a perfectly set platform. Five wickets fell for 16 runs between overs 11 and 16. Faheem Ashraf’s late assault is what separated the result from what could have been a famous Netherlands upset.

Pakistan Batting Scorecard

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Sahibzada Farhan	c R Merwe b P Meekeren	47	31	4	2	151.61
Saim Ayub	c R Merwe b A Dutt	24	13	4	1	184.62
Salman Agha (c)	c M Levitt b A Dutt	12	8	3	0	150.00
Babar Azam	c K Klein b R Merwe	15	18	1	0	83.33
Usman Khan	b P Meekeren	0	2	0	0	0.00
Shadab Khan	c S Edwards b L Beek	8	12	0	0	66.67
Mohammad Nawaz	c S Edwards b K Klein	6	13	0	0	46.15
Faheem Ashraf	Not out	29	11	2	3	263.64
Shaheen Shah Afridi	Not out	5	9	0	0	55.56
Extras	(w 2)	2
Total	19.3 Overs	148/7

Fall of Wickets -Pakistan

Wicket	Score	Batter	Over
1st	27	Saim Ayub	2.4
2nd	53	Salman Agha	4.5
3rd	98	Sahibzada Farhan	11.1
4th	98	Usman Khan	11.3
5th	100	Babar Azam	12.4
6th	114	Mohammad Nawaz	15.6
7th	114	Shadab Khan	16.1

Netherlands Bowling Analysis

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Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ
Aryan Dutt	4	0	33	2	8.25
Logan van Beek	4	0	46	1	11.50
Kyle Klein	3	0	23	1	7.67
Roelof van der Merwe	3	0	13	1	4.33
Paul van Meekeren	4	1	20	2	5.00
Bas de Leede	1.3	0	13	0	8.67

Partnerships -Pakistan Chase

Understanding partnerships is essential to reading the full pakistan national cricket team vs netherlands national cricket team match scorecard properly. The numbers below explain both how Pakistan got to 98/2 with the chase in control -and how they then nearly lost it.

Partnership	Batters	Runs	Balls	Run Rate
1st wicket	Farhan + Ayub	27	16	10.12
2nd wicket	Farhan + Salman Agha	26	13	12.00
3rd wicket	Farhan + Babar	45	38	7.10
4th wicket	Babar + Usman Khan	0	2	0.00
5th wicket	Babar + Shadab	2	10	1.20
6th wicket	Nawaz + Shadab	14	23	3.65
7th wicket	Faheem + Shadab	0	1	0.00
8th wicket (unbroken)	Faheem + Shaheen	34*	20	10.20

The 3rd-wicket stand of 45 between Farhan and Babar consumed 38 balls at a run rate of 7.10 -well below the required rate at that stage. That single partnership is the clearest explanation for why Pakistan were in trouble entering the death overs. The 8th-wicket stand of 34 unbeaten off 20 balls between Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi produced the highest partnership run rate of the innings and sealed the result.

Powerplay Comparison

Team	PP Score	Wickets	Run Rate
Netherlands	50	2	8.33
Pakistan	61	2	10.16

Pakistan’s powerplay was significantly more aggressive than Netherlands’. They scored 11 more runs in the same 6 overs while losing the same number of wickets. Despite that platform, Pakistan’s middle-order run rate between overs 7 and 16 dropped sharply -allowing the required rate to climb back into dangerous territory.

Match Timeline

Over	Event
3.1	O’Dowd out -NED 28/1
4.2	Levitt out -NED 31/2
7.6	Ackermann out -NED 65/3
12.4	De Leede out -NED 105/4
15.6	Edwards out -NED 127/5
16.2–16.4	Two wickets in three balls -NED 129/7
19.5	Netherlands all out for 147
2.4	Ayub out -PAK 27/1
4.5	Salman Agha out -PAK 53/2
11.1	Farhan out -PAK 98/3
11.3	Usman Khan out -PAK 98/4
12.4	Babar out -PAK 100/5
15.6	Nawaz out -PAK 114/6
16.1	Shadab out –PAK 114/7
19.3	Faheem Ashraf seals win -PAK 148/7

The Middle-Overs Collapse: What the Data Shows

Between overs 11 and 16, Pakistan lost 5 wickets for just 16 runs. This is the defining sequence of the match and the section of the scorecard that most directly explains why Pakistan nearly lost a chase they should have controlled.

Babar Azam’s Role in the Collapse

Babar Azam scored 15 off 18 balls at a strike rate of 83.33. During overs 7 to 12, Pakistan’s run rate slowed considerably as the middle order occupied deliveries without the acceleration the chase demanded. The required rate, which was below 7 when Farhan fell in over 11, had climbed back above 11 before Pakistan lost their 7th wicket in over 16.

The Lower-Order Failure

Shadab Khan (8 off 12 balls, strike rate 66.67) and Mohammad Nawaz (6 off 13 balls, strike rate 46.15) both consumed valuable deliveries in the 14th and 15th overs. Neither provided the counter-attacking innings the situation demanded. By the time Shadab fell in over 16, Pakistan were effectively relying on two tailenders to score 34 runs in 24 balls.

Faheem Ashraf’s Match-Winning Innings

Faheem Ashraf’s 29 not out off 11 balls is the standout innings of the pakistan national cricket team vs netherlands national cricket team match scorecard. With Pakistan at 114/7, requiring 34 off 24 deliveries, he walked in and changed the tempo of the entire match.

Breaking Down Faheem’s Innings

• 29 not out off 11 balls
• 2 fours, 3 sixes
• Strike rate: 263.64 -highest by any batter in this match
• Came in with Pakistan needing 34 off 24 with the tail exposed

Shaheen Afridi supported at the non-striker’s end -5 off 9 balls, rotating strike when needed, contributing without giving away his wicket. The unbroken 8th-wicket stand of 34 off 20 balls settled the contest with three balls remaining. Paul van Meekeren, Netherlands’ most economical bowler with 2/20, had finished his spell before Faheem arrived. Bas de Leede was asked to bowl the final over and could not contain the inevitable.Faheem’s strike rate of 263.64 ranked as one of the most explosive late-innings cameos of T20 World Cup 2026’s opening round.

Records Created in This Match

This match produced several notable statistical milestones worth highlighting alongside the full scorecard data:

• Salman Mirza took 3 wickets on his T20 World Cup debut -among the most impactful debut bowling performances by a Pakistan bowler at the tournament
• Faheem Ashraf recorded the highest strike rate (263.64) of any batter in this match
• Pakistan recovered from 114/7 to win -one of the lower batting positions from which Pakistan have successfully completed a T20 World Cup chase
• The 8th-wicket stand of 34* between Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi was the highest partnership of the Pakistan innings and the match’s decisive sequence

Key Stats at a Glance

• Pakistan collapse: 98/2 to 114/7 –5 wickets for 16 runs in overs 11 to 16
• Faheem Ashraf strike rate: 263.64 -highest of any batter in this match
• Salman Mirza: 3/24 on T20 World Cup debut -best bowling figures for Pakistan
• Highest partnership: Faheem + Shaheen, 34* off 20 (8th wicket)
• Netherlands powerplay: 50/2, Pakistan powerplay: 61/2
• Best bowling economy: Van der Merwe 4.33, Van Meekeren 5.00, Abrar Ahmed 5.75

Venue: SSC Colombo T20 Profile

SSC Colombo generally provides early seam movement for pace bowlers and slower, more spin-friendly conditions as the match progresses. In this game, spinners from both sides recorded superior economy rates compared to pace options -Abrar Ahmed (5.75), Roelof van der Merwe (4.33), and Shadab Khan (6.50) all outperformed the quicker bowlers in terms of control.

SSC Colombo Match Conditions

Metric	Value
First innings total (this match)	147
Chasing team result	Won (PAK 148/7 in 19.3)
Best economy -spinners	Van der Merwe 4.33, Abrar Ahmed 5.75
Best economy -pace	Van Meekeren 5.00, Salman Mirza 6.26

Teams batting second at SSC Colombo benefit from knowledge of a set target, and spin tends to become more effective from the middle overs onward -a pattern clearly visible in both innings of this T20 World Cup 2026 opener.

Pakistan vs Netherlands in ICC Tournaments

Year	Tournament	Result	Format
2022	T20 World Cup, Perth	Pakistan won	T20I
2023	ODI World Cup, Hyderabad	Pakistan won by 81 runs	ODI
2026	T20 World Cup, Colombo	Pakistan won by 3 wickets	T20I

Direct comparison of margins across different formats and conditions does not produce meaningful conclusions -each match was played in different contexts. What the pattern does establish is that the Netherlands have consistently pushed Pakistan into demanding final stages across multiple ICC events. In both T20I encounters specifically, Netherlands’ bowling and batting units have held their own long enough to make Pakistan work deep into the final overs.

Tactical Analysis: What Worked and What Did Not

Pakistan’s Bowling Strategy

The decision to include Salman Mirza as a debutant paid off directly -3 wickets at 6.26 economy was exactly the contribution Pakistan needed. Abrar Ahmed’s mystery spin was equally valuable (2/23 in 4 overs). Shaheen Shah Afridi, however, went for 28 in 3 overs -expensive by any standard and a tactical concern for Pakistan’s management heading into their next fixtures.

Netherlands’ Bowling Strategy

Paul van Meekeren was the standout Dutch bowler -2/20 in 4 overs at an economy of 5.00, the most controlled pace spell of the match. Roelof van der Merwe’s 1/13 in 3 overs showed that Netherlands had a clear tactical plan against Pakistan’s experienced batting names. The fact that both their best bowlers had completed their quotas before Faheem arrived is the primary reason the target was reachable in those final overs.

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