Faheem Ashraf’s Heroics Save Pakistan from Upset; Netherlands Left Heartbroken After Dropped Catch

Three sixes in 19th over turn the tide as Pakistan escape with 3-wicket win in T20 World Cup opener; Max O’Dowd’s dropped catch proves costly

COLOMBO, February 7 — Pakistan narrowly avoided a shock defeat in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against the Netherlands thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s explosive late hitting at Colombo on Saturday.

Chasing a modest 148, Pakistan required 29 runs from the final two overs with the Netherlands firmly in control. What followed was a dramatic turnaround as Faheem blasted three sixes in the 19th over to swing the match decisively in Pakistan’s favor, eventually sealing a 3-wicket victory on the third ball of the final over.

The Turning Point

Until the 18th over, Netherlands held the upper hand against the 2009 champions. The match’s pivotal moment came on the second ball of the 19th over when Max O’Dowd dropped Faheem’s catch—a mistake that would prove catastrophic for the Dutch.

Given a lifeline, Faheem capitalized ruthlessly. After launching the first ball of the over for six, he added two more maximums following the dropped catch, completely reversing the momentum. He finished unbeaten on 29 off just 11 balls, earning the Player of the Match award for his match-winning cameo.

Pakistan’s Chase

Earlier, Pakistan’s chase got off to a solid start with opener Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 47 runs, falling agonizingly three runs short of a half-century. Saim Ayub contributed 24 runs as Pakistan built their innings.

However, the middle order stumbled, allowing Netherlands back into the contest. Paul van Meekeren and Aryan Dutt claimed 2 wickets each, keeping the pressure on the Pakistani batsmen and setting up the tense finale.

Netherlands’ Batting Effort

After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Pakistan restricted Netherlands to 147 all out in 19.5 overs. Captain Scott Edwards led from the front with a battling 37 runs, but lacked adequate support from his teammates.

Pakistan’s bowling was disciplined, with Suleman Mirza claiming 3 wickets to lead the attack. In a peculiar statistical anomaly, 9 of Netherlands’ 10 dismissals came via catches, with only Colin Ackermann being bowled by Abrar Ahmed.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Suleman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (captain/wicketkeeper), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren

Match Summary

The victory, though unconvincing, gives Pakistan a crucial two points to start their World Cup campaign. For the Netherlands, the defeat will sting—particularly the dropped catch that allowed Faheem to turn the match on its head.

Pakistan’s batting lineup, featuring stalwarts like Babar Azam, will need to show more composure in the middle overs if they are to mount a serious challenge for the title. The top order laid a foundation, but the middle order’s struggles nearly cost them against an associate nation.

For Netherlands, the performance demonstrated they can compete with top-tier opposition. Scott Edwards’ captaincy and his personal contribution with the bat showed promise, while the bowling unit of van Meekeren and Dutt created genuine pressure.

However, in T20 cricket, moments matter—and the dropped catch of Faheem Ashraf will haunt the Dutch as a missed opportunity to pull off one of the tournament’s early upsets.

Pakistan escape with a win, but they’ll know much improvement is needed ahead.