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USA rout Netherlands to secure first win of T20 World Cup 2026

CHENNAI: Saiteja Mukkamalla’s 79 and Harmeet Singh’s four-wicket haul powered USA to a big 93-run win over the Netherlands here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the 21st fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set a daunting 197, the Netherlands were skittled for 103 in 15.5 overs.

Michael Levitt was dismissed early in a big chase as the Netherlands were 9-1 in 1.1 overs.

After an early wicket, Max O’Dowd and Bas de Leede added 32 run partnership to put the chase back on track.

O’Dowd made 13 from 11 before getting caught, a wicket that sparked a collapse that the Netherlands could not recover from.

The Netherlands innings quickly unraveled as they slumped from 45-3 to 75-6 in 10 overs.

The wickets continued to tumbled and they were eventually bowled out before completing their overs.

Bas de Leede was the top-scorer with 23 off 17, hitting a six and four.

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For USA, it was Shadley van Schalkwyk among the wickets again as he picked up a three wicket haul. Beside him, Harmeet Singh was the other bowler who impressed with his wickets.

Earlier, asked to bat first, USA racked up 196-6 in their 20 overs.

Shayan Jahangir and skipper Monank Patel were off to a flyer with 27 on the board in 2.5 overs.

Kyle Klein provided the Dutch first breakthrough in the form of Jahangir’s wicket, who made 20 off 14, striking two sixes and a boundary.

With the Netherlands 27 for one, Saiteja Mukkamalla arrived at the crease and forged 55 run partnership with Patel to drive USA’s innings.

The pair batted briskly, bringing the team’s total to 82 in nine overs. However, the stand was eventually broken with Patel’s wicket, who made 36 from 22 balls, including a six and three fours.

After his wicket, Saiteja Mukkamalla anchored the chase. The right-hand top-scored for USA with 79 from 51 balls, striking four sixes and four boundaries.

The other notable contribution was from Shubham Ranjane, who made a quick-fire 48 off 24, including two sixes and three fours.

For the Netherlands, Bas de Leede returned with the figures of 3/37 in his four overs.

Playing XIs

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (w/c), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein and Fred Klaassen.

USA: Monank Patel(w/c), Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Nosthush Kenjige and Ali Khan.

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All-rounder Bas de Leede guides Netherlands to first T20 World Cup 2026 win

DELHI: The Netherlands registered their first victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to an outstanding all-round display from Bas de Leede.

Chasing Namibia’s 157, the Dutch side reached 159-3 in 18 overs, with de Leede leading the charge.

The 26-year-old top-scored with a fluent 72 off 48 balls, striking five boundaries and four sixes, while Michael Levitt provided brisk support with 28 off 15 deliveries, including three sixes.

Colin Ackermann added 32 off 28 balls, and skipper Scott Edwards remained unbeaten on 18, finishing the chase with a boundary and a six.

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Earlier, Bas de Leede had made an impact with the ball, claiming two key wickets as the Netherlands restricted Namibia to 156-8.

Logan van Beek also picked up two scalps, while Aryan Dutt and Fred Klaassen chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Namibia’s innings was anchored by Jan Loftie-Eaton, who scored 42 off 38 balls with two sixes, and Jan Frylinck, who contributed a vital 30 from 26 deliveries.

This win came after the Netherlands had suffered a defeat against Pakistan in their opening T20 World Cup 2026 fixture.

READ: Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match saves ICC from heavy losses

T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan win toss against Netherlands

COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against the Netherlands here on Saturday at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed.

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c)(wk), Zach Lion Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein and Paul van Meekeren.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Historically, Pakistan and the Netherlands have faced each other twice, with the Men in Green winning both encounters, while the Flying Dutchmen are yet to register a victory.

Matches: 2, Pakistan: 2, Netherlands: 0

The last time both teams faced each other was in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan defeated the Netherlands by six wickets in Perth.

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Free entry announced for Pakistan vs Netherlands T20 World Cup clash

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced free entry for spectators to watch the curtain raiser clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup between Pakistan and the Netherlands, set to take place at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground on Saturday.

According to SLC, cricket fans will be allowed to watch the event’s opening game free of charge.

“The inaugural match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the SSC Grounds, Colombo, will be open to the public free of charge,” the SLC said in a statement.

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“Accordingly, Gates No. 5 and 7 of the SSC Grounds will be opened to the public from 9:30 a.m. The opening match will be contested between Pakistan and the Netherlands, with play scheduled to commence at 11:00 a.m,” the statement added.

For those unaware, weather conditions could disrupt the opening day, with forecasts indicating a mixed outlook: cloudy skies throughout and the possibility of rain increasing as the day progresses.

Morning conditions are expected to remain relatively stable despite heavy cloud cover of around 88 percent.

Temperatures will hover near 31°C, with a RealFeel of approximately 36°C, while humidity is projected to remain high at 77 percent.

Winds from the southeast are likely to blow at around 11 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 32 km/h.

Although the skies will remain overcast, no rainfall is predicted during the early hours.

Squads:

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

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren and Saqib Zulfiqar.

READ: All you need to know about ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Colombo weather update ahead of Pakistan vs Netherlands

COLOMBO: Pakistan to kick off their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against the Netherlands on Saturday at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, but weather conditions could have a decisive say in the much-anticipated opener.

Forecasts suggest a mixed outlook for match day, with cloudy skies dominating throughout and the possibility of rain increasing significantly as the day progresses.

Morning conditions are expected to remain relatively stable despite heavy cloud cover of around 88 percent.

Temperatures will hover near 31°C, with a RealFeel of approximately 36°C, while humidity levels are projected to stay high at 77 percent.

Winds from the southeast are likely to blow at around 11 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 32 km/h.

Although the skies will remain overcast, no rainfall is predicted during the early hours.

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However, the situation is expected to shift by evening, raising concerns over potential interruptions.

Cloudy conditions and scattered showers are forecast later in the day, with the probability of precipitation rising sharply to 83 percent and expected rainfall of about 4.2 mm.

Temperatures will remain around 32°C, but the RealFeel could climb to 37°C amid persistent humidity.

Winds are predicted to change direction to north-northwest at 17 km/h, with stronger gusts up to 43 km/h, while visibility may drop to nearly 4 kilometres.

Weather already disrupted Pakistan’s only warm-up match against Ireland earlier in the week, which was abandoned before the toss, making conditions a key factor once again as the Men in Green prepare for their tournament opener.

The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground will also stage Pakistan’s remaining group fixtures against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.

Squads

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

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar.

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Netherlands name squad for T20 World Cup 2026

AMSTELVEEN: The Netherlands have announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to commence on 7 February across Sri Lanka and India.

The Dutch overall squad includes experienced campaigners who have been part of the team in the last couple of years.

The squad will be led by Scott Edwars, who also captained the side in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

The batting unit will be led by Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, and all-rounder Bas de Leede.

While the spin department will be spearheaded by veteran Roelof van der Merwe, who will be appearing in his sixth T20 World Cup since his maiden appearance for South Africa in 2009.

Following the squad announcement, the Netherlands head coach Ryan Cook expressed confidence in their chances in the World Cup.

“With experience in the past few World Cups, having played against all of the teams in our group recently and having exposure to the conditions in Sri Lanka and India, we are confident in our preparations over the past few months,” he said.

“Players and staff have been working hard and making many sacrifices to put the team in a great position to succeed in the tournament.”

He also mentioned the squad and emphasized conditions in a bid to advance through to the next round.

“Our squad has depth and variety in options which we feel will be effective against the opposition and in these conditions as well experience which will be important as we look to advance through the group stages,” he explained.

The Netherlands will kickstart their campaign against Pakistan at Colombo in the T20 World Cup opener.

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For the unversed, the marquee event will be played from 7 February to 8 March across Sri Lanka and India.

The event will feature 20 teams, divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. A total of 41 matches will be played in the tournament, including the semi-final and final.

Netherlands squad

Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar

READ: WATCH: Rizwan becomes first Pakistan player to be retired out in T20s

Pakistan begin FIH Pro League campaign with Netherlands defeat

Defending champions Netherlands opened their FIH Pro League campaign with a commanding 5–2 victory over debutants Pakistan at the Santiago del Estero Hockey Club in Argentina.

Pakistan stunned the Dutch early, taking the lead through a moment of brilliance from Hannan Shahid.

The young forward carved his way in from the left flank, slicing through the Dutch defence before smashing his shot past Mauritz Visser to announce Pakistan’s arrival in the competition.

But the Netherlands, seasoned campaigners and among the favourites once again, settled quickly.

A sharp tackle from Thierry Brinkman triggered their first major surge down the right, with Koen Bijen finding space upfront to level the score before the end of the first quarter.

Just moments before the break, Timo Boers made it 2–1 with a tidy penalty-corner strike, the first sign of what would become the decisive difference between the sides.

Pakistan hockey team refused to fade, and early in the second quarter, Sufyan Khan dragged his team back into the contest with a penalty-corner conversion to make it 2–2 at half-time.

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The match, though, ultimately shifted in the third quarter as the Dutch showcased their set-piece precision.

Tijmen Reyenga restored their lead with another penalty-corner finish, and Boers added his second of the match shortly after, again from a dead-ball situation.

Duco Telgenkamp then produced a sharp finish from the baseline to stretch the advantage to 5–2, completing a dominant period for the defending champions.

Reyenga’s impact on both ends of the field earned him the Player of the Match award, as the Netherlands closed out the final quarter with composure and control.

Pakistan, despite the defeat, showed glimpses of their potential and will now turn their attention to the remaining fixtures of the mini-tournament.

They face hosts Argentina on December 12, meet the Netherlands again on December 13, and wrap up their first Pro League outing against Argentina on December 15.

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Mehidy Hasan Miraz left out as Bangladesh name squad for Asia Cup 2025

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) unveiled a 16-member squad for the forthcoming Netherlands T20Is and Asia Cup 2025 on Friday, with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz not included.

The Asia Cup 2025 is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 9 to 28 September.

The Bangladesh squad will also play a three-match T20I series against the Netherlands before the marquee tournament.

Mehidy, who was set to miss the Netherlands series due to personal reasons, could not secure a place in the squad and is named in the standby players, along with opening batter Mohammad Naim, who also could not find a place.

The duo was part of Bangladesh’s 2-1 triumph over Pakistan last month. Naim had returned with the scores of 32*, 3, and 10 in three matches.

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Among the notable inclusions in Bangladesh squad are wicket-keeper batter Nurul Hasan Sohan and Saif Hassan.

Nurul has earned a recall after three years. The batter’s last appearance in the shorter format was back in the 2022 World Cup. Both players are currently playing in the Top End T20 series in Darwin, Australia.

The Tigers will play the three T20Is against the Netherlands on August 30, September 1, and September 3. They will kick off their campaign against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.

Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:

Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin

Standby Players for Asia Cup

Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud.

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Michael Levitt stars as Netherlands defeat Scotland in Tri-Series clash

GLASGOW: Michael Levitt’s gutsy knock powered the Netherlands to a 17-run victory over Scotland, here at Titwood on Wednesday in the fourth match of the tri-series.

Chasing a 199-run target, Scotland crumbled under pressure and could only manage to score 181-9 in their 20 overs.

Despite losing opener Mark Watt only in the second over, Scotland kept with the required rate, bringing the score to 61 in 7.4 overs.

Brandon McMullen was the lead aggressor while George Munsey held firm at one end to keep Scotland in the hunt for the big chase. However, Munsey fell after scoring 26 off 22 deliveries, which gave the Netherlands an opening to make a comeback.

Netherlands triggered a mini collapse, removing Richie Berrington, Brandon McMullen and Finlay McCreath as Scotland were reduced to 107-5 in 12.2 overs.

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The top scorer, Brandon McMullen, was dismissed after scoring 51 off 27 balls, an innings peppered with eight boundaries and a six.

Nonetheless, with Scotland in deep trouble, Matthew Cross and Michael Leask forged a vital partnership, bringing the score to 147 in 16 overs.

With 52 runs needed from 24 balls, it was an uphill task for Scotland batters as well, as Leask was removed for 46 runs. Scotland could not capitalise in the last overs against economical bowling from the Netherlands.

For the Netherlands, Teja Nidamanuru was the standout bowler, picking up three wickets, while veteran Roelof van der Merwe chipped in with two scalps.

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Earlier, after being put into bat, the Netherlands scored 198-7 in their allocated 20 overs.

Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd provided the Netherlands a flying start, racing to 33 in just 3.5 overs. The Netherlands batters kept the impetus with quick-fire stands.

A match-defining 75-run stand between Scott Edwards and Michael Levitt laid a strong foundation for the Netherlands to reach near the 200-run mark. However, Scotland made a comeback in the last half of the innings to restrict the Netherlands.

Player of the Match Michael Levitt starred with the bat, scoring 90 off 57 deliveries, laced with five sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Scotland, Brandon McMullen and Charlie Cassell bagged two wickets each.

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Tri-Series: Netherlands edge past Nepal in epic third super over clash

GLASGOW: Netherlands edged past Nepal in a dramatic third super over thriller during the second match of the T20 tri-series here at Titwood on Monday.

The Netherlands held their nerve in the third super, taking two wickets as Nepal failed to set a decent score. Offspinner Zach Lion-Cachet claimed two wickets to end Nepal’s proceedings.

Michael Levitt came out and hit six on the first ball to give his team a thrilling victory. This marked the first time any men’s professional match, T20 or List A, had gone into a third Super Over.

Following the tie, Nepal set the Netherlands a target of 20 to win in the first super over, as Kushal Bhurtel smashed 18 runs, laced with two sixes and a four. However, the Netherlands managed to level the score, finishing with 19 runs as Max O’Dowd hit six and four off the final two balls.

Watch Scotland T20 Tri-Series Live on ARY ZAP

In the second super over, the Netherlands smashed two sixes in the first three balls but ended up scoring 17. In reply, Nepal’s Rohit Paudel struck the first ball for a maximum, and Dipendra Singh Airee hit a four as they required seven off the penultimate ball.

Airee smashed a six to take the game into the third super over for the first time in international cricket.

Earlier, chasing a target of 153 runs, Nepal needed 16 runs from the last over. The match ended in a tie as they scored 15 runs in the 20th over.

In pursuit of the target, Nepal had a poor start, losing their two wickets in only the second over.

However, Kushal Bhurtel looked good for his 34 off 23 balls, forging a quick-fire 43-run partnership with Rohit Paudel, which brought the score to 52 in 5.3 overs.

But wickets continued to tumble in the middle despite skipper Rohit Paudel’s 48 as Nepal were reduced to 137-8. With 16 required in the last over, Nandan Yadav took a couple of doubles before striking two fours, resulting in a tie.

Put in to bat first, the Netherlands scored 152 runs on the loss of seven wickets in their allocated 20 overs.

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The Netherlands had a decent score until the 11th over despite losing four wickets in the process; however, Nepal bowled well in the second half of the innings to restrict them to a competitive total.

Teja Nidamanuru top-scored with 35 off 37 balls, with the help of one six, while Saqib Zulfiqar smashed 25 off 12 deliveries with the aid of two sixes and a four.

For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane was the standout bowler, taking three wickets in his quota of four overs, while Nandan Yadav chipped in with two wickets.

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