Pakistan wrapped up their Women's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a victory, defeating the Netherlands at the County Ground in Bristol on June 27. The star of the match was Ayesha Zafar, who delivered an all-round masterclass by following up a crucial 32-run contribution with the bat by taking three wickets to dismantle the Dutch run chase.
Pakistan's T20 WC campaign ends with consolation win over Netherlands
Batting first Pakistan posted a total of 126/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings recovered from an early setback when left-handed opener Muneeba was dismissed for 12 in the fourth over with the scoreboard reading a precarious 15/1. Following the breakthrough, Ayesha teamed up with Gull Feroza (52 off 63) for a commanding 79-run second-wicket partnership. Silver Siegers finally ended the dangerous stand in the 14th over, dismissing Ayesha for a quick-fire 29-ball 32 shortly after being hit for a maximum.
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Netherlands bundled out for 89
Defending a modest target of 127, the Pakistani bowling attack proved too hot to handle for the Netherlands, bundling them out for just 89 runs in 18 overs. Captain Babette de Leede fought a lonely battle for the Dutch side with a patient 30 off 41 balls, while opener Heather Siegers was the only other batter to reach double digits with a brisk 24. Ayesha Zafar and Fatima Sana spear-headed the bowling department with three wickets apiece, while Diana Baig and Nashra Sandhu chipped in with a wicket each to seal the win.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss. The innings suffered an early blow when left-handed opener Muneeba Ali was dismissed for 12 on the very first ball of the fourth over, leaving the team at a fragile 15/1. However, the early setback was quickly erased by a brilliant second-wicket partnership between Ayesha Zafar and Gull Feroza. The pair batted intelligently and accelerated the scoring pace, stringing together a crucial 79-run stand that laid a solid foundation for the innings.
The dangerous partnership was finally broken in the 14th over by Silver Siegers. Right after being dispatched over the boundary for a six, the Dutch bowler exacted immediate revenge by dismissing Zafar, who walked back after a brisk 32 off 29 balls, including two fours and a maximum. Looking to capitalize on the momentum, Captain Fatima promoted herself to number four, but the tactical gamble fell flat when she was dismissed by Iris Zwilling for just three runs in the 16th over.
The middle-order collapse worsened in the subsequent overs. Debutant Eyman Fatima was dismissed for a six-ball duck by Caroline de Lange, while Iram Javed (2) fell shortly after to Heather Siegers in the penultimate over. Zwilling then struck again in the final over, removing Saira Jabeen for five to finish with excellent figures of 2/19. Amidst the tumbling wickets, opening batter Gull Feroza anchored the entire innings, carrying her bat through to finish unbeaten on a top-scoring 63 off 52 balls. Her resilient knock, featuring nine boundaries, anchored Pakistan's total and earned her the Player of the Match honors.