Pakistan and Netherlands have one unfortunate commonality as they head into their final group game, against each other. They’ve both played four, lost four and have an (E) beside their names on the Women’s Sky exchange World Cup 2026 points table. Both will carry the itch to get off the mark, but only one will leave having scratched it.
Netherlands realised their dream of making it to their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup, having traversed the rough terrains of multiple Qualifier events. Yet, there will be a sense of disappointment as captain Babette de Leede’s dream of securing a direct qualification to the next event by picking two wins has gone unfulfilled. Netherlands may have suffered big defeats along the way, but will still have one last evening to create memories for a lifetime. Despite the nature of the losses, belief ought to emanate in that dressing room, given their opposition are in the same rocky boat of zero wins.
For Pakistan, the motivation will be to avoid the ignominy of a winless Women’s T20 World Cup. Early exits have been the theme for Pakistan in all 10 editions of the tournament, including this one. But in the seven previous iterations, Pakistan have managed to secure at least one win. The last time Pakistan finished without a point was in the 2010 edition – a statistic Fatima Sana would rather not have attached to her captaincy.
When: Pakistan vs Netherlands, Group A, Match 26, June 27, 2026, 10:30 AM Local Time/ 3 PM IST
Where: County Ground, Bristol
What to expect:UK is currently gripped in a heat wave but morning temperatures in Bristol are expected to be relatively kinder – hovering in the late 20s for the duration of the game. Netherlands’ only game at the venue saw them concede 200+ in the first innings. Pakistan haven’t played a match there at this tournament.
Team News:
Netherlands
Regular opener Heather Siegers missed the South Africa game through illness. In her absence, Netherlands paired their 21-year-old opener Phebe Molkenboer with another 21-year-old in Sanya Khurana. They were both brave and confident against the attack led by Shabnim Ismail as they excelled in the Powerplay. Netherlands could retain this exuberance at the top. Isabel van der Woning also sat out the South Africa fixture, with Hannah Landheer replacing her. It could be a toss up between the two for the last match.
Probable XI: Sanya Khurana, Phebe Molkenboer, Babette de Leede (c) (wk), Sterre Kalis, Robine Rijke, Frederique Overdijk, Iris Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Silver Siegers, Caroline de Lange, Hannah Landheer/Isabel van der Woning
Pakistan
After a poor batting show against Australia where they were bowled out for just 86, Pakistan could turn to a 21-year-old batter of their own – Eyman Fatima, who has struck at 150.71 in the five T20Is she has played. Senior pros Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim, who were picked in the last fixture, should retain their spots.
Probable XI: Muneeba Ali (wk), Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar/Eyman Fatima, Iram Javed, Saira Jabeen, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal
Did you know:
– In this tournament, teams have scored at 7 an over in the Powerplay in Bristol. Only Southampton has seen a lower scoring rate (6.37) in that phase of the game
– Since the start of 2025, Sterre Kalis has scored 1647 runs in 67 T20 innings – the most for Netherlands. For Pakistan, Fatima Sana leads the charts with 764 runs in just 22 innings at an average of 50.93. She also has a far superior strike rate – 164.30 to Kalis’s 114.21
What they said:
“Yeah, we’ve had Pierre [de Bruyn] with us the whole World Cup. It’s been a great opportunity for him to get to know the players. He’s added value with his coaching knowledge throughout the tournament as well. So we’re hoping that this tournament is to start something for the Netherlands women’s team that they can build on. We’re hoping that the lessons and the knowledge they’ve learned by playing at this level is something that they can take into next qualifying tournaments and hopefully many more World Cups. So it’s been great that Pierre’s had some time to see them in this environment, and it’s great that the players are learning and improving every game.” – Netherlands head coach Neil McRae on having his successor, Pierre de Bruyn, around at the World Cup.
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