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ABU DHABI: Clinical Afghanistan thrashed Hong Kong by a massive margin of 94 runs in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2025 here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Set 189, Hong Kong faltered in the chase and could only manage to score 94-9 in 20 overs.
Afghanistan made early inroads as Hong Kong demonstrated a shambolic batting display, losing four inside five overs.
Anshy Rath(0) was caught behind on the second ball of the opening over– a replay showing a huge gap between ball and bat.
Zeeshan Ali was the second to be dismissed in the second over for just five runs. Hong Kong went into dire straits with back-to-back run outs of Nizakat Khan and Kalhan Challu.
As a result, Hong Kong were reduced to 22-4 in 4.3 overs.
Afghanistan continued to strike at regular intervals, with no batter contributing significantly except Babar Hayat.
Hayat tried to stabilize innings with brief stands; however, despite top-scoring with 39 off 43, Hong Kong’s innings folded for a mere total. Interestingly, Hayat’s knock was laced with three sixes.
For Afghanistan, it was an all-round bowling effort with every bowler chipping in with wickets. However, Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi stood out with two scalps each.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Afghanistan racked up 188 for 6 in their allocated 20 overs.
Afghanistan got off to a shaky start as they lost their opening two wickets inside four overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the first to go after making eight off five balls, whereas Ibrahim Zadran could only manage to score one.
As a result, Afghanistan were 26-2 in 3.2 overs.
Following the early hiccup, experienced Mohammad Nabi arrived at the crease and forged a composed 51-run stand with Sediqullah Atal.
Consequently, Afghanistan reached 77 at the halfway mark of the innings. Nabi departed after scoring 33 off 26 balls with the help of three fours and a six.
Yet, Hong Kong struck again and kept Afghanistan’s batters in check until Azmatullah Omarzai and Sediqullah Atal’s brisk 85-run partnership off just 35 balls.
The pair took advantage of the sloppy Hong Kong fielding and counterattacked with brisk batting.
Azmatullah perished after launching a brutal assault on Ayush Shukla, smashing three sixes and fours in the 19th over. He made 53 off 21 balls, an innings laced with five maximums and two fours.
On the contrary, Sediqullah remained unbeaten, scoring 73 off 52 balls peppered with half a dozen fours and three sixes.
For Hong Kong, Kinchit Shah and Ayush Shukla picked up two wickets.
PLAYING XIs:
Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong XI: Zeeshan Ali (wk), Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Challu, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza (capt), Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan
