Watch- Salman Mirza carries Pakistan legacy, commits fielding howler of T20 World Cup 2026

Salman Mirza and Salman Agha (Source:X)

The much-anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 got off to a dramatic start as Pakistan is playing against the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on February 7, 2026. Earlier in the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. 

While the team looked sharp in the early overs, a significant fielding lapse by young fast bowler Salman Mirza caught everyone’s attention.

Salman Mirza’s costly misfield

The incident occurred in the 8th over of the Netherlands' innings, when Shadab Khan was bowling to Scott Edwards. 

The Dutch captain played a cautious push toward the short third man. Mirza, running in to field the ball, misjudged it and took his eyes off the ball while attempting to pick it up.

The ball rolled past him and raced to the boundary, giving the Netherlands an unexpected four runs. After he misfielded the ball, Salman Agha was seen visibly upset with him and gave a cold reaction.

The delivery from Shadab Khan was a full-length leg-spinner outside off stump. Edwards moved forward and guided the ball away from his body, creating just enough room for the outside edge to find the gap at short third. 

What should have been a single turned into a boundary due to Mirza’s misfield. Despite chasing after the ball, he had no chance to stop it.

Watch the video here:

crictalk

@crictalk7

Feb 7, 2026, 11:49 AM

Netherlands stumble after promising start

The Dutch team got off to a promising start after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. The Netherlands’ openers gave their side a strong beginning, with Michael Levitt leading the charge. Levitt scored a quick 24 runs off just 15 balls, striking at 160.

However, Max O’Dowd could not capitalise on the strong start and fell early, making only 5 runs from 7 balls. 

Coming in at number three, Bas de Leede played a controlled innings, scoring 30 runs off 25 balls, while captain Scott Edwards kept the momentum going with a valuable 37 runs off 29 balls. 

The Netherlands looked set for a total around 160-170, but wickets fell at crucial moments, slowing their progress.

Pakistan makes strong comeback

Pakistan, despite a shaky start with the ball, clawed back into the game. Ayub made an immediate impact, taking two wickets in his opening over. 

Mohammad Nawaz also grabbed a simple catch to dismiss Zach Lion-Cachet, who departed cheaply, further denting the Netherlands’ hopes of a strong finish.

Other contributors for the Netherlands included Colin Ackermann, who scored 20 runs off 14 balls, but the team struggled to build partnerships in the latter stages. 

Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, and Abrar Ahmed, proved effective in the final overs, turning the game in Pakistan’s favour.

At the time of writing this article, the Netherlands have made 147 runs at the loss of 10 wickets. It is important to note that the target will be easy for Pakistan with now all eyes on the 'Men in Green' openers.