Pakistan will face the Netherlands in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026. The match will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Pakistan, who finished runners-up in the 2022 edition, are placed in Group A this time.

The Men in Green will look to start their campaign with a win against the Dutch side. However, Pakistan will miss star batter Fakhar Zaman, who is not part of the Playing XI for the opener.

Despite being 35 years old and scoring over 2,300 runs in T20 cricket with 13 half-centuries, Fakhar Zaman’s place in the team has come under pressure. His strike rate of around 130 is seen as slow as Pakistan now want more aggressive batting at the top.

The left-handed batter also struggled in the recent three-match T20 series against Australia, where he scored only 25 runs in total. His form in the 2025–26 ILT20 season was also below par. Playing for the Desert Vipers, he scored 260 runs in 12 matches, with an average of 21.66 and a strike rate of 124.4. He failed to give quick starts, which hurt his chances of making the World Cup XI.

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Why Fakhar Zaman Has Been Dropped

Fakhar Zaman has been left out of the Playing XI due to team combination reasons. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said the team will play only the best combination, even if senior players have to sit out.

Speaking in the press conference before the tournament, Agha said that no player is guaranteed a place. He said if players like Fakhar Zaman or Babar Azam do not fit the team plan, they will not be included. The focus will be on what is best for the team.

Pakistan is planning to give 23-year-old Khawaja Nafay a chance in the opening match. Nafay is likely to replace Fakhar Zaman. He impressed in the last T20 match against Australia and has shown aggressive batting. In his early international games, he has a strike rate of over 174, which matches Pakistan’s need for quick scoring.

Captain’s View on Babar, Bowling Plans and Match Preview

Salman Ali Agha also spoke about Babar Azam’s role in T20 cricket. He said Babar needs to score faster and is working on improving his game. Agha added that Babar is a key player who brings stability to the team. When Babar scores runs, Pakistan usually wins matches.

In the bowling attack, Pakistan are expected to pick Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz. Usman Tariq may miss out despite his unique bowling action. Fast bowler Salman Mirza is likely to play alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, replacing Naseem Shah for this game.

The Netherlands will be playing their first T20 match in Sri Lanka. They will depend on captain Scott Edwards and in-form batter Michael Levitt. Levitt has been impressive since 2025, scoring 314 runs in 8 matches with a good average and a quick strike rate.

Playing XI of PAK vs NED Match 

Pakistan playing 11: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (C), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (WK), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

Netherlands playing 11:Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (C &WK), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren