Colombo, February 7: The T20 World Cup 2026 kicked off on Saturday with a match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. The game, taking place at the Sinhalese Sports Club, saw Pakistan win the toss and invite the Netherlands to bat first.
Salman Agha leads the Pakistan team, while Scott Edwards captains the Netherlands.
After winning the toss, Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha stated, “We will bowl first. It’s a new pitch, and it has been raining here for a few days. We wanted to see if there is any moisture and take advantage of it. I’ve never seen this much grass in Sri Lanka before. We have both spinners and fast bowlers who can perform well here. Therefore, we are playing three pacers, and we have all-rounders for the spin department.”
He praised the opposing team, saying, “The Netherlands is a very good team. They have played well, and we will focus on our strengths. We want to ensure we implement our plans, and if we do that, we are good enough to beat any team.”
On the other hand, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards remarked, “I think it’s a very good-looking wicket. We might have chosen to bowl first as well, but we are happy to bat. I’m not sure if winning is crucial, but clearly, you have four matches, and to give yourself a chance, you need to win three of them. This is a big game for us, but the other three matches are just as important. We will give our best.”
The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, features three matches on its opening day. Following the Pakistan-Netherlands clash, the second match will take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where the West Indies will face Scotland. The third match on Saturday will see India take on the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Pakistan’s Playing XI: Saeem Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.
Netherlands’ Playing XI: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (wicketkeeper/captain), Zach Lyon Catchet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren.