Colombo, Feb 07 (V7N)- The T20 World Cup got underway with a Pakistan–Netherlands clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Saturday.

Winning the toss, Pakistan elected to field first in the opening match, which began at 11:30 am.

Batting first, the Netherlands scored 147 runs, putting up a competitive total. Captain Scott Edwards was the top scorer for the Dutch side with 37 runs, while Bas de Leede contributed a useful 30-run innings.

Pakistan’s bowlers kept the Netherlands under pressure throughout the innings. Salman Mirza led the attack with an impressive three-wicket haul. Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub picked up two wickets each, while Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed one wicket.

Pakistan will now look to chase down the target and begin their World Cup campaign on a winning note.

END/SMA/AJ