Colombo, February 7: The Netherlands has set a target of 148 runs for Pakistan in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026. This inaugural game is being held at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.
After losing the toss, the Netherlands team batted first and was bowled out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs. The opening pair of Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd provided a brisk start, contributing 28 runs in just 3.1 overs.
Max O’Dowd scored 5 runs off 7 balls, hitting one four before being dismissed. Levitt, on the other hand, managed to score 24 runs from 15 balls, including one six and three fours. The Netherlands lost both openers by the time the score reached 31. Following this, Bas de Leede tried to stabilize the innings by adding 34 runs for the third wicket with Colin Ackermann in 22 balls.
Ackermann was dismissed after scoring 20 runs off 14 balls. De Leede then partnered with captain Scott Edwards to add 40 runs for the fourth wicket in 28 balls, pushing the team past the 100-run mark.
De Leede scored 30 runs off 25 balls, hitting four fours. Edwards contributed 37 runs from 29 balls, including one six and three fours, while Aryan Dutt, batting lower down the order, added 13 runs off 8 balls.
For Pakistan, Salman Mirza was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 24 runs in 3.5 overs. Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, and Saeem Ayub each claimed 2 wickets, while Shaheen Afridi took 1 wicket.