Pakistan’s star all-rounder Faheem Ashraf saved the Men in Green from an embarrassing defeat, thanks to his unbeaten explosive knock of 29 off just 11 balls
Published: February 7, 2026 3:51 PM IST
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T20 World Cup 2026: All-rounder Faheem Ashraf turned match-winner for Pakistan, with his unbeaten explosive knock of 29 off just 11 balls, which guided the Men in Green seal a dramatic three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup opener here on Saturday.
In pursuit of 148, Pakistan looked steady at 90 for 2 at the halfway mark before a their batting collapsed leaving them struggling at 114 for 7 in 16.1 overs with 34 runs still required.
Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan was on the verge of shameful defeat, but Faheem Ashram who walked into bat at number eight had different ideas.
Faheem Ashraf smashed 24 runs off Logan van Beek’s over
Needing 29 runs from the last two overs, Ashraf went on the offensive against Logan van Beek, smashing three sixes and a four, and then wrapped up the chase with a boundary in the final over as Pakistan reached 148 for 7 in 19.3 overs.
RANA FAHEEM ASHRAF 29(11) VS NETHERLANDS | ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2026 | BALL BY BALL HIGHLIGHTS & POTM INTERVIEW pic.twitter.com/s7wQyFO1fN
— PCT Replays 2.0 (@ReplaysPCT) February 7, 2026
Fortune favoured Pakistan as Max O’Dowd put down Ashraf on 7 off the second ball of the 19th over, a miss that proved costly and possibly turned the match against the Dutch.
Netherlands was dismissed for 147 in 19.5 overs
Earlier, the Men in Green opted to bowl after winning the toss and dismissed the Netherlands for 147 in 19.5 overs. Skipper Scott Edwards top-scored with 37 off 29 balls, which included three fours and a six, while Bas de Leede played a quickfire knock of 30. Michael Levitt added 24 and Colin Ackermann made 20.
Pakistan’s bowling was spearheaded by Salman Mirza, who ended with impressive figures of 3 for 24, with Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz providing solid support, claiming two wickets apiece.
Pakistan holds the top spot in the points table
In reply, Pakistan made a steady start through openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, but the dismissal of Ayub off Aryan Dutt’s delivery triggered a middle-order collapse as wickets fell at regular intervals. The Dutch bowlers kept the pressure on deep into the chase, before Faheem Ashraf’s explosive knock pushed Pakistan in the driver seat.
The three-wicket win lifts Pakistan up the points table as they look to build momentum in the T20 World Cup 2026.
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