Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam delivered a moment of brilliance in the field, pulling off a spectacular boundary-line catch during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Saturday.
The stunning effort came on the second ball of Mohammad Nawaz’s first over, when Netherlands’ in-form batter Michael Levitt launched a shot that appeared destined to clear the ropes.
Positioned near the boundary, Babar timed his leap to perfection, plucking the ball mid-air before calmly lobbing it back to Shaheen Shah Afridi, who completed the catch to seal a memorable dismissal.
Levitt, who had looked dangerous during his brief stay, scored a brisk 24 off 15 deliveries, striking three fours and a six before falling to Pakistan’s sharp fielding effort.
Despite Levitt’s intent, the Netherlands struggled to build momentum against a disciplined Pakistan bowling attack and were eventually bowled out for 147 in the final over.
Salman Mirza led the charge with the ball, finishing as the pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of 3 for 24 in 3.5 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub chipped in with two wickets apiece, while Shaheen Afridi claimed one to round off a collective bowling performance.