Michael Levitt's massive six against Shaheen Afridi (Source: @crictalk7/x.com)
The wait is finally over as the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup springs to life. As the tournament raises its curtain, Pakistan is facing the Netherlands in the tournament opener, and fans are witnessing some magical moments.
As the Netherlands side is batting first, they had a solid start. The drama peaked when Mitchell Levitt stunned everyone by launching Shaheen Afridi for a towering six that sailed clean out of the stadium.
Levitt sends Shaheen Afridi out of the park
After two years of waiting, the T20 World Cup 2026 is live now, and fans are already witnessing some unreal T20 moments on the field. Setting the tone on high, Pakistan and the Netherlands are locking horns in the opening match, and the fierce face-off is already turning heads. The Men in Green faced early stumbles after the Netherlands gave a dominating start.
As the Dutches gave a promising start, the drama picked the third over as Pakistan’s ace fast bowler Shaheen Afridi came to bowl. Taking the strike, the Netherlands’ opener Michael Levitt faced his fiery bowling with a brave hurt but the third delivery of that over witnessed something unreal.
It was a quality delivery from Shaheen Afridi, right in the slot, and Levitt timed it to perfection. Levitt stood tall and smashed the ball over the deep backward square leg. The drama peaked as the ball didn’t just clear the ropes but flew clean out of the stadium, keeping the opposition visibly frustrated.
Watch the video below:
Pakistan roar back as the Netherlands' early domination fades
It's just the beginning of the marquee event, and fans are already witnessing some edge-to-seat drama. Facing the Men in Green in the first match, the Netherlands gave a solid start. Starting the innings with a stunning boundary, they faced the lethal Pakistani bowling attack with a brave heart.
But the rhythm was interrupted in the third over as Max ODowd walked away, scoring only five runs in seven deliveries. Since the beginning, Michael Levitt proved to be heavy on the opponent as his power-hitting was troubling the Pakistani bowlers.
Pakistan finally struck gold in the fifth over when Mohammad Nawaz dismissed the dangerous Michael Levitt for 24, delivering a much-needed breakthrough. Even after those dismissals, Bas de Leede and Scott Edwards are on the crease, pushing the side to put on a strong total.
Both teams hunt for the perfect World Cup start
Over the years, the Pakistani side has struggled on the big stage of the ICC tournaments and is now finally looking forward to breaking the unfortunate jinx. After walking away heartbroken in the last edition, the Men in Green are eyeing a strong start against the Netherlands as they look to set the tone for a successful campaign.
On the other hand, over the last few years, the Netherlands has emerged as a formidable force in the cricket world. Facing the Men in Green in the first match, they gave a strong start. Even after losing a couple of quick wickets, the Dutch remain well placed for a comeback as they chase a perfect start to their campaign.
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