Babar Azam could manage only a 18-ball 15 while chasing 148 against the Netherlands.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has kicked off with a nail-biting finish between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Though the former has ultimately managed to win the match, fans have expressed their disappointment over the ex-skipper Babar Azam. Coming in at No.4, the right-hander could only manage 15 runs off 18 balls in the 147-run chase.
The PAK vs NED fixture was expected to be an easy outing for the Men in Green, especially after recording a 3-0 whitewash over Australia before coming into the T20 championship. But an exceptional display from the Dutch players took the game down to the wire. The 2022 runners-up finally got over the line as Faheem Ashraf hit the much-needed boundary with three balls remaining.
Despite a good start, which guided the team to 90/2 halfway through the chase, Babar could not finish off the task to clinch a comprehensive victory. The experienced batter’s knock came at a sub-par strike rate of just 83.33, which is completely outdated in the current T20 sphere.
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Notably, Babar’s dismissal in the 13th over proved to be the turning point of the match. The 31-year-old had tried to clear the fence off the fourth delivery of Roelof van der Merwe, but the ball landed straight into the palms of Kyle Klein. His wicket triggered a collapse in Pakistan’s batting order as the next three batters went back to the pavilion for a duck, eight and six.
However, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf rescued Pakistan from an embarrassing defeat to the Netherlands. His brisk and valuable 29 not out off 11 balls, comprising two fours and three over-boundaries, helped the side in earning two crucial points. Next up, the team is set to face the USA on February 10 at the same venue.
Fans would be eager to see whether Pakistan continues with the same line-up in their next encounter of the T20 World Cup 2026 or they bring in any changes in their plans to replace Babar Azam.
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