The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 kicked off with the Pakistan vs Netherlands clash at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday, February 7, where Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were involved in perfect teamwork to pull off one of the most dramatic moments of the game.
T20 World Cup 2026 opener delivers instant drama
On the fifth over of the Netherlands’ innings, Michael Levitt went for a big shot straight down the ground against Mohammad Nawaz. He got low and tried to hit it for a boundary, but the ball did not come off the middle of the bat.
Instead, it hit the lower part of Levitt’s bat, resulting in the ball going very high in the air. The ball went towards the long-off boundary, where Babar Azam reacted quickly.
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The former Pakistan captain ran to his right and managed to catch the ball safely with both hands near the boundary line. However, his speed carried him forward, and he was about to step over the rope, which would have made it a six.
Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi join hands for a stunning relay catch
But just before his foot touched the ground outside the boundary, Babar showed great awareness. He threw the ball straight up into the air while still inside the field of play. At the same time, Shaheen Afridi sprinted back from the mid-on region to take the catch.
As Babar stepped out, Shaheen positioned himself perfectly and caught the ball cleanly after it came down. The effort turned into a tag-team catch, as the first fielder released the ball before touching the boundary.
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The Pakistan players erupted in celebration as Babar-Afridi’s stunning efforts removed the dangerous Michael Levitt for 24 runs off just 15 balls.
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) February 7, 2026
Fresh pitch and rain factor push Pakistan to bowl first in Colombo
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha decided to bowl first after winning the toss against the Netherlands in Colombo. Explaining his call, the skipper said that the pitch looked fresh and there might be some moisture because of recent rain, which could help the bowlers.
He also pointed out a lot of grass on the pitch, which is an unusual thing in Sri Lanka, but they are playing three fast bowlers, and the all-rounders will handle the spin, so he is confident about the positive outcome. Salman also hailed the Netherlands team.
Notably, Pakistan, who won the T20 World Cup in 2009 and finished as runners-up twice, had a disappointing campaign in the last edition of the tournament. They were knocked out in the group stage itself, so they would be keen on making a strong impact this edition.
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Pakistan strike early but Netherlands fight back in T20 World Cup opener
Well, the Men in Green had a great start as they took two wickets in the powerplay, yet the Netherlands top order managed to take the side over 100 runs inside 13 overs. Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed have so far got two wickets each, while Salman Mirza chipped in with one scalp.
The Netherlands have already scored 127 runs in 16 overs, and now they would certainly aim for making anything around 170 in the last four overs, as it could be a very competitive total to trouble Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 opener at Sinhalese Sports Club.
