Colombo, Feb. 7 -- Pakistan kicked off their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a thrilling three-wicket victory over the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, on Saturday.
A tense chase saw all-rounder Faheem Ashraf emerge as the hero, while Sahibzada Farhan's brilliant 47 off 31 balls and a superb bowling performance led by Salman Mirza (3/24) proved decisive.
Chasing 148, Pakistan got off to a shaky start, losing Saim Ayub (24 off 13) in the third over, caught by Aryan Dutt. Captain Aga Salman tried to steady the innings alongside Farhan but was dismissed for 12 in the fifth over. At one stage, the match seemed under Pakistan's control, but a flurry of wickets in the middle overs put them under pressure.
In the 12...