Metro53 - Colombo (Web Desk): In the opening match of the T20 World Cup, the Netherlands set Pakistan a target of 148 runs to win.
After winning the toss in Colombo, the Pakistan team opted to bowl first. Speaking after the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said it was the first time he had seen such a pitch in Sri Lanka. He added that the team was playing with three pacers and would try to execute their game plan effectively.
The Netherlands lost their first wicket at 28 runs when Max O’Dowd was dismissed for 5 by Salman Mirza. The second wicket fell at 31 runs as Mohammad Nawaz got Michael Levitt out for 24. The third wicket went down at 65 runs when Abrar Ahmed dismissed Colin Ackermann for 20.
Later, Dutch batters built a partnership and took the score to 105, but Mohammad Nawaz broke the stand to claim the fourth wicket. After that, Pakistani fielders held on to a series of catches, and all remaining Netherlands batters were dismissed caught.
For Pakistan, Salman Mirza took 3 wickets, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub claimed 2 wickets each, while Shaheen Afridi picked up 1 wicket. Shadab Khan went wicketless, conceding 26 runs in his 4 overs.
Chase Begins
Pakistan’s chase was opened by Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan. Saim Ayub adopted his aggressive style from the outset and provided a rapid start. However, he did not stay long at the crease and was dismissed for 24 off 13 balls, including 4 fours and 1 six.
Pakistan’s second wicket fell at 53 runs when captain Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for 12 runs.
Pakistan’s playing XI for today’s match includes Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Abrar Ahmed.
In the T20 World Cup, 20 teams have been divided into four groups. Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals India. However, Pakistan has refused to play its scheduled February 15 match in Colombo against Bangladesh in solidarity.
Pakistan’s group also includes Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.
It may be recalled that Pakistan won the T20 World Cup title in 2009 in England under the captaincy of Younis Khan, while finishing runners-up in the inaugural 2007 edition held in South Africa, which was won by India. Under Babar Azam’s leadership, Pakistan lost the final of the 2022 World Cup to England.
It is noteworthy that Salman Agha has captained Pakistan in 43 T20 matches so far, winning 27 of them. After the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan won 10 out of 13 T20 matches. Pakistan also recently completed a clean sweep against Australia in a three-match series.
