The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to commence with Pakistan facing the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Saturday, February 7. The match is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM IST.
Predicted Playing XI for Pakistan
Pakistan's predicted playing XI includes Salman Agha (c), Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Mike Hesson, Pakistan's head coach, indicated that Babar Azam will be batting at number four to consolidate the innings if the top order collapses. Usman Khan is likely to be preferred over Khawaja Nafay as the wicketkeeper. If the pitch favors spin, Pakistan might include both Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed; otherwise, Faheem Ashraf could be included to bolster both batting and bowling. Shaheen Afridi is expected to lead the pace attack.
Venue
The match will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This will be the first T20I match at this venue in nearly sixteen years. The ground has been recently renovated, with floodlights installed. The average first innings score at SSC is around 150 runs.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground is generally favorable for batters. Spinners are expected to play a key role, especially in the powerplay overs. As the game progresses, the pitch is expected to slow down, making it crucial for batters to score heavily during the powerplay. The pitch will offer significant turn and variable bounce as the game progresses, making it difficult for the chasing team. Winning the toss and batting first is often seen as a tactical advantage.
Weather Report
The weather in Colombo on Saturday is expected to be partly cloudy. There is a chance of rain in the afternoon, which could disrupt the second innings. While rain is not expected in the first hour of play, the probability of precipitation increases to nearly 50 percent by 1 PM. According to another report, there is a 68% probability of rain in the afternoon. However, some reports suggest that the weather will remain cloudy and humid with temperatures around 21-25°C.
Here's the hourly forecast: * 8:00 AM: 25°C (11% chance of rain) * 9:00 AM: 27°C (10% chance of rain) * 10:00 AM: 28°C (7% chance of rain) * 11:00 AM: 30°C (7% chance of rain) * 12:00 PM: 31°C (11% chance of rain) * 1:00 PM: 32°C (41% chance of rain) * 2:00 PM: 31°C (45% chance of rain) * 3:00 PM: 31°C (40% chance of rain) * 4:00 PM: 30°C (62% chance of rain) * 5:00 PM: 28°C (49% chance of rain)
Live Streaming Details
The T20 World Cup 2026 will be broadcast on Star Sports Network channels in India. Live streaming will be available on the JioStar app and website.
Match Prediction
Pakistan is considered the favorite to win the match against the Netherlands. ChatGPT predicts Pakistan has a 70-90% chance of winning under normal conditions, citing their superior squad and T20I record. Gemini gives Pakistan a 93% win probability if the match is not affected by rain.