Afghanistan began their Asia Cup campaign with a dominating 94-run win in a Group B clash at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. On opening night, Afghanistan overcame early jitters with the bat aided by sloppy Hong Kong fielding to post an above par score before their bowlers took over and dismantled Hong Kong. Batting first, Afghanistan rode on Sediqullah Atal’s unbeaten 73 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s brilliant 53 off 21 balls to post 188/6 in 20 overs.
In the second innings, the bowlers took over with an all-round display and with two run outs as well as they did not give anything away. Hong Kong crawled to 94/9 in 20 overs in an abject batting display as Afghanistan won big and boosted their Net Run Rate which could be very important in the Group of Death going forward. Hong Kong were good in patches, but not good enough to challenge the mighty Afghans.
Sediqullah Atal & Azmatullah Omarzai’s Smashing 50s power Afghanistan to 188/6
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal came out for Afghanistan while Ayush Shukla had ball in hand for Hong Kong. Asia Cup 2025 began with a boundary as Atal pulled it hard behind square leg for a boundary. Then a few balls later, Atal was dropped by captain Yasim Murtaza at first slip and Atal would make them pay for sure. The southpaw added salt to the wounds by hitting back-to-back boundaries off Shukla.
Ateeq Iqbal was given the new ball from the other end. Atal hit him for a boundary by driving through covers. Gurbaz then smashed a maximum down the track over mid-off. But Shukla got his man dismissing Gurbaz for 8 off 5 balls with a maximum to his name. Shukla shortened his length a fraction this time and Gurbaz looked to go downtown but ended up slicing it high in the air. Nizakat from mid-off back pedalled to keep his eyes on the ball and take a very good catch. Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Iqbal struck again as he got rid of the form batter Ibrahim for 1 off 4 balls. He bowled it short of a length delivery outside off-stump, Ibrahim looked to drive it on the up square of the wicket in the off-side and got an outside edge on this one as Zeeshan took a fine catch standing up to the stumps. Mohammad Nabi came out to bat next. Ayush Shukla returned as Atal beat him past mid-off for a boundary. Ehsan Khan came to bowl the final over of powerplay and bowled a decent one at that.
At the end of the powerplay overs, Afghanistan were 41/2 in 6 overs. Aizaz Khan came into the attack post the powerplay and Nabi took the attack to him by smashing him for a boundary and a maximum over long-off. Ehsan Khan bowled another good over. Nabi slapped Aizaz through covers to break the shackles. Nabi too hit Khan by delicately placing it through third man region. Nabi survived a close run out chance as well.
Captain Yasim Murtaza came into the attack next and he bowled a quiet over even as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Atal survived a close run out call as he dragged his bat home in time. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Afghanistan were 77/2 with the players taking the drinks break under oppressive heat. Kinchit Shah came into the attack after the break and got rid of Mohammad Nabi for 33 off 26 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name.
Kinchit from around the wicket tossed it up outside off angling across the batter, Nabi went back and across and looked to take the aerial route. He looked to smash it over long-off fence as he mistimed from the toe end of his blade. The fielder at long-off settled underneath it and took a good catch. Gulbadin Naib came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Atal survived another run out check by a whisker. Murtaza bowled another miserly over once again.
Atal finally broke the shackles against Kinchit Shah as he pulled him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Shah hit back and got rid of Gulbadin Naib for 5 off 8 balls. Kinchit bowled a length ball outside off-stump angling across the batter. Naib reached for it and swung his bat across the line. He spooned it straight up in the air. Murtaza called for it at short extra cover and took the catch. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next. Murtaza kept things tight as Afghanistan brought up their 100 in 13.5 overs.
Atal too reached his half-century off 41 balls as he held the innings together as Afghanistan reached 110/4 in 15 overs. Omarzai decided to shift gears now as he hit Murtaza by slog sweeping over deep midwicket for the maximum. Atal was once again dropped at short third man by Ehsan Khan as he pointed to the floodlights. Iqbal returned and was hit for a boundary by Omarzai.
Atal joined the party as he smashed over deep backward square leg for the maximum. He hit another maximum into the gap between deep midwicket and long-on for a flat maximum. Atal hit another boundary past diving backward square leg for a boundary. Now, it was the turn of Omarzai to get dropped as the long-off fielder put him down. He added insult to injury by pumping Ehsan over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Ayush Shukla came to bowl the 19th over as Omarzai took him on and deposited him for a hat-trick of sixes and then hit a boundary to get to his fifty in 20 balls his maiden T20I fifty. Shukla got his man in the end dismissing Omarzai for 53 off 21 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Shukla bowled a length ball outside off with pace off the ball, Omarzai cleared his front leg and swung his bat across the line. He mistimed it straight up in the air as the fielder at long-on settled underneath it and took a comfortable catch. Karim Janat came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Ehsan Khan bowling the final over got rid of Karim Janat for 2 off 3 balls. Ehsan bowled a tossed up delivery full at the stumps, right in the slot of the batter. Janat got under it and looked to smash it over long-on fence. He got the height and not the distance as the fielder took a good catch. Rashid Khan got off the mark with a triple while Atal got a single off the final ball of the innings to carry his bat being unbeaten on 73 off 52 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes to his name while Rashid was unbeaten on 3 off 1 ball. 10 extras given by the fielding side as Afghanistan reached 188/6 in 20 overs.
As far as bowling of Hong Kong goes, Ayush Shukla gave away 54 runs but picked up 2 wickets as well in his 4 overs. Ateeq Iqbal finished with 1/32 in 3 overs. Ehsan Khan bowled decently for his 1/28 in 4 overs. Kinchit Shah chipped in with figures of 2/24 in 3 overs. Aizaz Khan’s 2 overs went for 26 runs. Yasim Murtaza kept things tight and finished with 0/23 in 4 overs. This meant an improbable 189 was the target for Hong Kong to cause a massive upset in the tournament opener.
All-round bowling performance limits Hong Kong to a mere 94/9
Chasing 189 for the win, Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath came out to bat for Hong Kong while Fazalhaq Farooqi had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Farooqi struck second ball as he got rid of Rath for a golden duck. It was an outswinger on a length around the fifth stump line, Rath hung back and looked to feel away from the body as the ball looked to have kissed the gloves on way to Gurbaz for an easy catch. Replays shows that there was a flat line on Ultra-Edge when ball passed the bat. But the batter chose not to review and walked back. Babar Hayat came out to bat next.
Farooqi gifted 5 wides to the batting side before Zeeshan drove him past mid-off for a boundary. Azmatullah Omarzai came onto bowl next. He dismissed Zeeshan for 5 off 6 balls with a boundary to his name. Omarzai pitched it up at the stumps swinging away this time. Zeeshan played for the inswinger and looked to flick it away on the onside. He got a leading edge that lobbed up in the air over the bowler’s head where Nabi moved to his left from mid-on and took the catch. Nizakat Khan came to the crease next.
Rashid Khan produced a moment of brilliance to dismiss Nizakat Khan via a direct hit at the bowler’s end as he was dismissed for a diamond duck. Kalhan Challu walked out to the middle next. Another mix-up between the batters but thankfully no damage was done. Allah Ghazanfar came into the attack next. Challu got a reprieve as Ibrahim Zadran dropped him at the mid-off region. The next ball Janat dropped Babar Hayat at third man as Afghanistan were sloppy in the field too.
Omarzai did brilliantly on his follow through next and ran K M Challu out for 4 off 8 balls with a direct hit at the striker’s end. Kinchit Shah came to the crease next. Ghazanfar bowled a tight over as Hong Kong were reeling at 23/4 after the powerplay of 6 overs in the chase. Captain Rashid Khan came into the attack next. An LBW appeal against Kinchit Shah was turned down and the review wasted as well by Afghanistan.
Noor Ahmad was introduced into the attack and bowled a decent over. Hayat finally broke the shackles by smashing Rashid over long-on for the maximum. Noor then got rid of Kinchit Shah for 6 off 10 balls. He tossed it up at the stumps and it was a leg spinner. Kinchit went down on one knee and swept it aerially behind square on the leg side. Karim Janat at deep backward square leg ran to his right and dived full length to take a great catch. Captain Yasim Murtaza walked out to bat next. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, Hong Kong were 43/5.
Gulbadin Naib came into the attack next and bowled a tidy over. Karim Janat was given the ball next as Hayat took him on and deposited him over wide long-on for the maximum. Hayat survived a run out scare by diving full length to make his ground. Hayat once again hit Janat over long-on for another maximum to give Hong Kong fans something to cheer about. Naib then got into the wickets column getting rid of Babar Hayat for 39 off 43 balls with 3 sixes to his name.
Naib bent his back and banged it short around off-stump, Hayat stood tall and went for the pull shot but got hurried by the pace. He ended up getting a top edge towards deep midwicket where Atal ran in from the boundary to take a good catch. Aizaz Khan came out to bat next. Afghanistan lost another review against Murtaza for an LBW appeal off Janat as the Atlans lost both their reviews. Janat bowled a decent over. Rashid returned and kept things tight as Hong Kong crawled to 73/6 in 15 overs.
Noor returned to the attack and we saw another dropped catch as Murtaza was put down by Ashraf at short covers. Rashid finally got his man dismissing Aizaz for 6 off 10 balls. Rashid tossed this up around off-stump, Aizaz’s eyes lit up on seeing it above his eyeline. He went for a slog sweep but got a top edge. Nabi at long-on misjudged it a fraction but did well to move back and pouch it with a reverse cup. Ehsan Khan came in next and got off the mark with a brace.
Murtaza managed to smack Noor over extra covers for a boundary. Naib returned and got rid of Murtaza for 16 off 26 balls with a boundary to his name. Naib bowled a leg-cutter on off-stump, Murtaza got completely deceived by the change of pace as he looked to swipe it into the leg side but was very early into the shot. He missed it completely and wore it on the back thigh right in front of the stumps. Murtaza reviewed in hope and saw three reds on ball tracking. The review was lost as well. Ayush Shukla came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Farooqi came back to bowl the final over of the innings and dismissed Ehsan Khan for 6 off 11 balls. He bowled a length delivery at the stumps, Ehsan shimmied down the wicket and looked to defend it straight but played it with hard hands. He ended up chipping it straight and Farooqi in his follow-through got low on time to grab it inches above the ground. Ateeq Iqbal came out to bat next. He got off the mark as Hong Kong finished with 94/9 in 20 overs with Ayush Shukla and Ateeq Iqbal unbeaten on 1 each. 10 extras given by the fielding side.
7 bowlers used by Afghanistan yesterday. Fazalhaq Farooqi got 2/16 in 3 overs. Gulbadin Naib chipped in with 2/8 in 3 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with 1/4 in 2 overs. Rashid Khan was impressive in his 1/24 in 4 overs. Noor Ahmad was excellent in his 1/16 in 4 overs. Ghazanfar bowled 2 overs for 4 runs while Karim Janat went the distance going for 21 in 2 overs. So, Afghanistan with a resounding 94-run win and for his all-round performance, Karim Janat was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
Next up on Asia Cup 2025 is a Group A game as defending 8-time champions India are in action up against the local team in UAE from Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on 10th September 2025 at 8 PM IST. India will be favourites but count UAE out at your own peril as the Men in Blue will avoid being complacent and get some match practise as well ahead of bigger challenges ahead.
Let’s see how things unfold in Dubai as the Men in Blue aim to start their campaign on a high against spirited UAE side.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Solid-looking Afghanistan Face-Off Against Fearless Hong Kong In Opener