Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi pictured throughout T20 World Cup 2026 match in opposition to Netherlands on February 7, 2026. — Instagram@icc
Pakistan Star batter Babar Azam produced a sensational catch on the boundary, with essential assist from Shaheen Shah Afridi, to dismiss in-form Dutch batter Michael Levitt within the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener in opposition to the Netherlands on the Sinhalese Sports activities Membership Floor in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday.
The unimaginable second got here on the second supply of Mohammad Nawaz’s first over.
Levitt tried a shot that seemed destined for a six, however Babar leapt to the boundary, intercepted the ball brilliantly, and threw it to Shaheen, who accomplished the catch.Â
Levitt had contributed a quickfire 24 off 15 balls, together with three fours and a six, earlier than his dismissal.
With a fiery begin given by the openers, the Netherlands reached 100 within the thirteenth over, with skipper Scott Edwards hitting a six off Nawaz. However the spinner struck again, eradicating de Leede for 30 off 25 balls to make it 105-4. Abrar then claimed his second wicket, dismissing Edwards for 37 off 29 balls.
Saim Ayub tightened the screws within the subsequent over, eradicating Logan van Beek for a first-ball duck and Zach Lion-Cachet for 9, lowering the Netherlands to 129-7.
Nevertheless, regardless of a relatively fiery begin by the Netherlands, the Inexperienced Shirts’ bowlers managed to drag the reins in on the Dutch and bowled them out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs.
Salman Mirza led the Pakistani bowling assault, ending with 3 wickets for twenty-four runs in 3.5 overs. Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim took two wickets every, whereas Shaheen contributed with one wicket.
Traditionally, Pakistan has confronted the Netherlands twice in T20Is, successful each encounters, whereas the Flying Dutchmen are but to register a victory.
