Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi go un-Pakistani, pull off stunning tag-team catch vs Netherlands in T20 World Cup

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 kicked off with the Pakistan vs Netherlands clash at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday, February 7, where Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were involved in perfect teamwork to pull off one of the most dramatic moments of the game.

T20 World Cup 2026 opener delivers instant drama

On the fifth over of the Netherlands’ innings, Michael Levitt went for a big shot straight down the ground against Mohammad Nawaz. He got low and tried to hit it for a boundary, but the ball did not come off the middle of the bat.

Instead, it hit the lower part of Levitt’s bat, resulting in the ball going very high in the air. The ball went towards the long-off boundary, where Babar Azam reacted quickly.

The former Pakistan captain ran to his right and managed to catch the ball safely with both hands near the boundary line. However, his speed carried him forward, and he was about to step over the rope, which would have made it a six.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi join hands for a stunning relay catch

But just before his foot touched the ground outside the boundary, Babar showed great awareness. He threw the ball straight up into the air while still inside the field of play. At the same time, Shaheen Afridi sprinted back from the mid-on region to take the catch.

As Babar stepped out, Shaheen positioned himself perfectly and caught the ball cleanly after it came down. The effort turned into a tag-team catch, as the first fielder released the ball before touching the boundary.

The Pakistan players erupted in celebration as Babar-Afridi’s stunning efforts removed the dangerous Michael Levitt for 24 runs off just 15 balls.