COLOMBO(National times)- Pakistan started their T20 World Cup campaign with a thrilling three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in a gripping encounter on Saturday. Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan achieved the target in 19.3 overs, losing seven wickets along the way, with Faheem Ashraf’s explosive late innings leading the charge. Ashraf played a match-winning cameo, scoring an invaluable 29 runs off just 11 balls, hitting three sixes and two fours. His fireworks at the tail end of the innings sealed Pakistan’s victory in a tense finish. The chase got off to a solid start, with Saim Ayub making an impactful contribution upfront, scoring 24 runs before being dismissed in the third over. Pakistan’s top order capitalized on the powerplay, amassing 65 runs in the first seven overs, which set the stage for a strong finish. Sahibzada Farhan was the standout performer, scoring a composed 47 runs. However, Pakistan’s progress was halted as they lost five wickets in quick succession, leaving the team in a precarious position. Despite the wobble, Faheem Ashraf’s quickfire knock rescued the team, ensuring Pakistan’s first victory of the tournament. Earlier, Netherlands set a target of 148 runs for Pakistan. Despite a few solid contributions, the Netherlands struggled to build partnerships as Pakistan’s bowlers dominated throughout the innings. The Netherlands team was bowled out for 147 in 20th over. Michael Levitt top-scored for the Netherlands with 24 runs off 15 balls, including 3 fours and 1 six, before being dismissed by Mohammad Nawaz. Max O’Dowd, who was also in good form, could only manage 5 runs off 7 balls before falling to Salman Mirza. Bas de Leede added 30 runs off 25 balls, but his efforts were not enough to stabilize the innings, as he too was dismissed by Nawaz. Colin Ackermann made a brief impact with 20 runs off 14 balls, but was soon sent packing by Abrar Ahmed. The Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards, fought hard for his 37 runs off 29 balls, but he was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed as well. The lower order crumbled under pressure with wickets falling quickly. Zach Lion-Cachet (9 runs) and Logan van Beek (0 runs) were both dismissed by Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, who claimed two wickets in his only over. Aryan Dutt’s 11 runs off 5 balls helped boost the score, but it was not enough to prevent the collapse. For Pakistan, Salman Mirza took three wickets while Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz took two wickets each. Shaheen Afridi grab one wicket.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq