Pakistan narrowly avoided a historic upset in the opening match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, clinching a three-wicket victory over the Netherlands on Saturday.

Chasing a modest target of 148 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, the “Men in Green” suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse that saw them slip from 98/2 to a precarious 114/7.

The match turned in the 19th over when Faheem Ashraf, who finished with an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls, smashed three massive sixes. The Dutch missed a golden opportunity to win when Max O’Dowd dropped Ashraf during that decisive over.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who chose to bowl first due to a green pitch, admitted his surprise at the conditions, stating he had “rarely seen such a significant covering of grass on a Sri Lankan pitch.”

Earlier, the Netherlands were bowled out for 147, despite a solid 37 from captain Scott Edwards. Edwards later reflected on the missed chance for an upset, noting it was a “big one for them as you need to win at least 3 out of 4 games to qualify.”

Salman Agha praised the result but remained focused on improvement, saying, “We’ve come here to win the tournament, like every other team and we expect our fans to back us.”

Pakistan now turns its attention to the rest of Group A, carrying vital momentum forward.