The 2026 T20 World Cup gets going this Saturday with Pakistan facing the Netherlands in the first Group A match. Salman Agha takes charge of the Pakistani side and one can bet they’re hungry to start strong with a win. Across the pitch, Scott Edwards leads the Dutch, and they’re also itching to pull off an early upset.
Pakistan’s opening pair, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, will look to set the pace right from the first ball. In the middle order, Salman Agha and Babar Azam look solid and they’ll want to steady things and rack up some runs. On the bowling front, Shaheen Shah Afridi brings the fire, while Abrar Ahmed covers the spin.
History favours Pakistan. They’ve met the Netherlands twice before in T20 World Cups and came out on top both times, both matches played at neutral grounds. These two still haven’t squared off in a bilateral series. So, one can say that this clash is not a mere bit of a tune-up for Pakistan.
For the Dutch, keep an eye on Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh at the top. Michael Levitt adds stability to the middle, linking up with captain Edwards. Paul van Meekeren will spearhead the fast bowling, and Roelof van der Merwe handles the spin.
Pitch of Sinhalese Sports Club
The pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club has changed a lot lately. Both teams will want to take a close look before locking in their final elevens. Spinners usually have some fun here, but with the recent renovations, nobody really knows what to expect. Should be a fascinating matchup.
Weather in Colombo
On the match-day, the weather in Colombo looks cloudy with temperatures between 23 and 32 degrees. The real worry is there is a 68% chance of rain on 7th February. So, rain might just end up stealing the spotlight in this one.
Probable XIs:
Pakistan (Probable XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Abrar Ahmed.
Netherlands (Probable XI): Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Scott Edwards (captain & wicketkeeper), Bas de Leede, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen.
