T20 WC 2026: Pakistan face Netherlands in tournament opener
What's the story
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7 with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands in the opener at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. The Men in Green enter the tournament on a high note after a 3-0 clean sweep against Australia in their last T20I assignment. Hence, the Dutch team needs to play out of its skin to put up a challenge. Here is the preview of the contest.
Match details
A look at the pitch report
The pitch at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground has changed a lot over the years. Both teams will have to assess conditions well before finalizing their XI. Spinners are likely to play a vital role. This is also the first-ever contest at this venue after recent renovation and upliftment, where floodlights have also been installed. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream it on the JioHotstar app/website (11:00am IST).
PAK vs NED
Can Netherlands cause an upset?
The Netherlands have struggled in the shortest format of the game lately. They haven't won any of their 20-over matches (including warm-ups) and will be looking for an early win against Pakistan to build momentum in this 20-team tournament. Though Pakistan have momentum, the upcoming clash is a must-win for them. They have opted out of their match against India, which could impact their net run-rate (NRR) and points table standing.
Information
Here's the head-to-head record
Pakistan and Netherlands have just met twice in the T20I format - 2009 and 2022. Both these games, which took place in the World Cup, saw the Men in Green prevail. Hence, the Dutch side is chasing a historic win.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
Pakistan (Probable XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Abrar Ahmed. Netherlands (Probable XI): Max O'Dowd, Michael Levitt, Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Scott Edwards (captain & wicketkeeper), Bas de Leede, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Max O'Dowd is the Dutch side's top scorer in T20 World Cup history with 444 runs at 34.15 (50s: 5). With 60 wickets at an economy of 6.40, Roelof van der Merwe is Netherlands's second-highest wicket-taker in the format. Shaheen Afridi's 23 wickets in the competition have come at an economy rate of 6.58. Saim Ayub will enter the event as the top-ranked T20I all-rounder.