Despite bas

Skipper Salman Ali Agha: Pakistan made a tense start to their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign as they overcame a scare against the Netherlands to seal a three-wicket victory in the tournament opener here at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.

Pakistan began the match on a strong note by restricting the Netherlands to 147 all out in 19.5 overs as Salman Mirza starred with the ball, picking up three wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub provided effective support.

Asked to bat first, the Netherlands got off to a brisk start through Michael Levitt, who struck early boundaries and a six as the side reached 28 in three overs. However, the momentum shifted when Mirza dismissed Max O'Dowd cheaply, followed by Levitt's dismissal to Mohammad Nawaz after a sharp relay catch involving Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. Despite Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann steadying the innings to reach 50/2 at the end of the powerplay, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.