Credit: Asia Cup 2025
Afghanistan registered a massive win in the opening game of the Asia Cup 2025 against Hong Kong at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The Rashid Khan-led side defeated Yasim Martaza and his men by a huge margin of 94 runs to kick start the tournament. Opener Sediqullah Atal and Azmaullah Omarzai turned out to be star performers with their respective fifties as Afghanistan posted 188/6 in their 20 overs while batting first. In reply, Hong Kong could only reach 94/9 in their 20 overs.
Batting first after winning the toss, Afghanistan lost two wickets at the score of 26 runs in 3.2 overs. After that, Sediqullah Atal and Mohammad Nabi added 51 runs for the third wicket. Nabi got out after scoring 33(26) runs. Afghanistan were 95/4 in 13 overs before Azmatullah Omarzai joined Atal at the crease.
Azmatullah Omarzai smashes 53(21) as Afghanistan post match-winning total vs Hong Kong
Coming to bat in the middle-order after the loss of four wickets Azmatullah Omarzai ended up scoring 53 runs off just 21 balls hitting two fours and five sixes. Before losing his wicket to Ayush Shukla on the fifth ball of the 19th over, Omarzai smashed 22 runs on the first four balls hitting three sixes followed by a four. After his wicket, Atal took the innings further and remained unbeaten on 73*(52) runs hitting six fours and three sixes. For Hong Kong, Ayush Shukla, Kinchit Shah took two wickets each while Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan scalped a wicket each.
Chasing the winning target, Hong Kong got a disastrous start as as they lost their first wicket in the second ball of the innings. After that, Hong Kong kept losing wickets at regular intervals with Babar Hayat top scoring 39(43) with three boundaries. At last, Hong Kong could only reach 94 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs. For Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib scalped two wickets each while skipper Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Azmatullah Omarzai scalped a wicket each.
