Pakistan to face Netherlands in T20 WC opener:Mohammed Nawaz eyes to break Shahid Afridi’s record; PAK has 100% win record against Dutch side

The first match of T-20 World Cup 2026 will be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Pakistan is going to start the tournament amid India’s match boycott. Both teams will be looking to secure a place in the next round, but in terms of form and preparation, Pakistan clearly appears to be ahead. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz can break former captain Shahid Afridi’s record. With just 4 more wickets, Nawaz will become Pakistan’s fourth-highest wicket-taker. Pakistan won all matches against the Dutch side A total of 2 T-20 International matches have been played between Pakistan and the Netherlands so far, and Pakistan has won both. The Netherlands is still waiting for their first win against them in this format. Team that played most T20s in 9 months Pakistan has been the team that played the most T20 internationals in the last nine months. During this period, they played 34 matches against 10 different countries and won 24. Recently, they showed excellent preparation by clean sweeping Australia 3-0. Impact of the boycott match against India on Feb 15 Due to the boycott against India, Pakistan is already under pressure in terms of net run rate and the points table. In such a situation, every match could be a do-or-die for them. Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi are the top performers of PAK since 2024 in T20Is Since 2024, Saim Ayub has been Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in T20 cricket. He has scored 1105 runs in 53 matches, with his best score being an unbeaten 98 runs. During this period, Ayub’s strike rate has been 137.43. Pakistan captain Salman Agha has played attacking cricket. Agha, who previously faced criticism for his strike rate, scored 45 runs off 12 balls against Sri Lanka and 120 runs off 70 balls in the Australia series. In bowling, Shaheen Afridi has been one of Pakistan’s most effective bowlers. He has taken 64 wickets in 46 matches. During this period, his best performance was 4 wickets for 30 runs, while his economy rate remained at 7.42. Top performers of NED since 2024 in T20Is The Netherlands’ young opener Michael Levitt is the team’s biggest hope. At 22 years of age, he is among the team’s top run-scorers and scores runs at a strike rate of 142+. Since 2024, Michael Levitt has scored 866 runs in 26 matches, with his best score being 135 runs. In bowling, Kyle Klein has been the Netherlands’ main wicket-taker. He has taken 28 wickets in 17 matches. His best performance was 4 wickets for 16 runs, with an economy rate of 7.94. PAK’s Nawaz 4 wikets away to break Shahid Afridi’s record In the 2022 T20 World Cup, the Netherlands helped Pakistan by defeating South Africa, and it was because of that win that Pakistan reached the semi-finals. Mohammad Nawaz is 4 wickets away from reaching fourth position in Pakistan’s top T20 wicket-takers list, surpassing Shahid Afridi. Pakistan has played 24 T20s since their last match against the Netherlands. Possible Playing-XI Pakistan- Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (Captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman/Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tarik, Abrar Ahmad. Netherlands- Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Bas de Leede, Jack Lyon-Cache, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren. Pitch and Weather Only two T20 International matches have been played at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club Ground so far, making it difficult to fully understand the pitch behaviour through statistics. However, the surface is considered favourable for batting, while fast bowlers are also expected to get assistance in the initial overs. Spin bowlers will have a role to play, but this assistance won’t be as much as at the R. Premadasa Stadium. The weather could also affect the match, with light rain predicted during the game.