Pakistan Playing XI vs Netherlands Playing XI epitomizes the clash between an Asian giant and a small fish. However, this will be the first opportunity for Pakistan to play with their final playing XI in the World Cup so that they can finalize a squad ahead of the much-awaited clash against India.
Pakistan will look to improve their chances in the ICC tournament, especially as they have been drawn against mostly smaller teams in Group A, and no matter the outcome of the match between India and Pakistan, they can easily make it to the Super-8 stage from the group.
This article provides the probable playing XIs of Pakistan and Netherlands for the first T20I World Cup encounter in 2026, along with possible player combinations and key players to keep an eye on. Sinhala Sports Club in Colombo.
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Pakistan Playing XI vs Netherlands Playing XI, Match No. 1 – ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Pakistan Playing XI vs Netherlands – ICC T20 World Cup
Openers: Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan
Pakistani players Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan are two of the most dynamic cricketers in the Pakistan cricket team currently. While Saim Ayub has been a consistent run-scorer at the top of the batting order, Sahibzada Farhan remains promising after a series of good scores in the Asia Cup.
Middle-order batsmen: Salman Aga (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz.
Salman Agha has been promoted up the batting order and since then he has been scoring runs with great fluency. He will be followed by veteran batsman Babar Azam, who finally scored a half-century in the last T20I against Australia.
Wicketkeeper batsman Usman Khan may be the first choice keeper in the team, but Khawaja Nafey will be a constant threat to his position. The explosive player will be supported by all-rounders Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf/Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed
With three spin bowling all-rounders in the form of Saeem Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, Pakistan will be eyeing players like Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf for their fast bowling deck. On the other hand, Abrar Ahmed remains the frontline spinner along with Shadab Khan.
Pakistan playing eleven: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Aga (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf/Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.
Netherlands Playing XI vs Pakistan – ICC T20 World Cup
Openers: Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh
Max O’Dowd is one of the strongest batting options in the Dutch lineup. The opening batsman has been one of the staunchest run scorers, while Vikramjit Singh, on the other hand, finds himself at the top of the order despite not scoring too many runs in recent times.
Middle-order batsmen: Colin Ackerman, Scott Edwards (c/wk), Bas De Leede, Saqib Zulfikar
Colin Ackerman returns to the playing eleven for Netherlands in the ICC T20 World Cup, while captain Scott Edwards has added some fireworks to the middle order. He will be followed by players like all-rounder Bas De Leede and Saqib Zulfikar, who are important for the team with both bat and ball.
Bowlers: Kyle Clyne, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe/Noah Kroes.
Logan van Beek and Gile Clyne are undoubtedly among the batsmen who have done some scoring with the bat and can be placed in the bowling all-rounder category for the Dutch team. Aryan Dutt and Roelof van der Merwe bring a mix of experience along with some quality spin. Paul van Meekeren, who now plays franchise T20 cricket globally, will be key with the new ball.
Netherlands playing XI: Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Colin Ackerman, Scott Edwards (c/wk), Bas de Lied, Saqib Zulfikar, Kyle Clyne, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe/Noah Kroes.
Also read: Arshdeep Singh gets ‘Influential Player of the T20 Series’ medal after India’s 4-1 win over New Zealand
