Faheems Blitz Powers Pakistan to Dramatic Win Over Netherlands in World Cup Opener

The T20 World Cup got underway with a thrilling contest as Pakistan began their campaign with a dramatic three-wicket victory over the Netherlands, thanks to a heroic late assault from Faheem Ashraf. Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan stumbled badly at one stage, but Faheem’s explosive batting in the closing moments saw the Salman Agha-led side seal the win with three balls to spare.

Pakistan made a promising start to the chase, but momentum shifted quickly after they lost two wickets at 98 runs. Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 47, and Babar Azam, who managed 15, were dismissed in quick succession, reducing Pakistan to 114/7 and leaving victory firmly within the Netherlands’ grasp. At that crucial moment, Faheem Ashraf took control of the game. His blistering unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls turned the match on its head. Faheem also survived a dropped catch by Max O’Dowd in the 19th over—an over that ultimately proved to be the turning point of the match.

Earlier, after losing the toss, the Netherlands enjoyed a strong start with the bat. They raced to 50/2 inside the powerplay, but Pakistan’s exceptional fielding and disciplined bowling prevented them from building a big total. The Dutch innings was restricted to 147 runs in 20 overs. The standout moment came in the form of a spectacular relay catch by Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi to dismiss in-form batter Michael Levitt. Overall, Pakistan claimed nine of the ten Dutch wickets through catches.

On a grass-covered pitch in Colombo, Pakistan won the toss and opted to field. The match also served as the curtain-raiser of the World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. With a government directive to boycott their February 15 match against India, Pakistan entered the tournament under a must-win scenario, making the victory over the Netherlands particularly crucial.

The other teams in Pakistan’s group are the USA and Namibia. While Pakistan are considered favourites on paper, recent World Cups have shown their vulnerability to upsets. In the previous T20 World Cup, Pakistan suffered shock defeats to the USA and India, leading to an early exit from the group stage despite winning their remaining matches.

With all their group-stage matches scheduled in Colombo, weather conditions could pose additional challenges for Pakistan. Combined with the uncertainty surrounding the India fixture, the pressure remains high—but Faheem Ashraf’s late heroics ensured Pakistan started their World Cup journey on a winning note.