ABU DHABI: Afghanistan started off their Asia Cup campaign with a massive win by 94 runs over Hong Kong in their Group B clash at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Half-centurions Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai, the latter producing the fastest T20I half-century for Afghanistan in T20I cricket, were the stars with the bat, producing carnage in final few overs for Afghanistan. Also, Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi took two wickets each for Afghanistan.
In the run chase of 189, Hong Kong was reduced to 22/4 in 4.3 overs, with Afghanistan pacers all over their opponents. Babar Hayat took the task of reviving the chase with Kinchit Shah, ending the powerplay at 23/4. However, his attempts did not work much as Kinchit was removed for a 10-ball six by Noor Ahmed, caught by Karim Janat at deep backwards square leg. Afghanistan was 43/5 in 9.5 overs.
Sediqullah Atal (73*) and @AzmatOmarzay (53) react to their performance that helped Afghanistan register their first win at the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025. 👏#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvHK | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/l62DGk8OFE
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025
A massive six over deep mid-wicket by Hayat helped Hong Kong reach the 50-run mark in 11.2 overs, while he got another six against Karim in that over, but he succumbed to Gulbadin Naib in the next over for a 43-ball 39, with three sixes. Afghanistan reduced Hong Kong to 63/6.
It kept getting worse for Hong Kong, as skipper Rashid Khan got Aizaz Khan as his first wicket for a 10-ball six, caught by Mohammed Nabi at long-on, while attempting a reverse-sweep. Hong Kong was 78/7 in 16.2 overs. In the 19th over, Gulbadin picked his second wicket, removing Yasim Murtaza for a 26-ball 16, reducing Hong Kong to 91/8.
Hong Kong’s struggle-filled innings ended at 94/9 in their 20 overs, with Ayush Shukla and Ateeq Iqbal unbeaten at one each. Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/16) got his second wicket in the final over. Naib (2/8) was fantastic for Afghanistan in his three-over spell, while Rashid, Noor and Omarzai got a wicket each.
Earlier, former world number one all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai shattered the record for the fastest fifty in T20Is for Afghanistan after his whirlwind knock at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in the Asia Cup opener on Tuesday.
After opting to bat, Afghanistan were left threadbare at 110/4, courtesy of Hong Kong’s spirited bowling display with five overs left. With Afghanistan, in dire need of some firepower, Omarzai stepped on the crease and changed the complexion of the game in a flick. He flaunted his boundary-hitting nerve and left the Hong Kong team gobsmacked by unleashing a barrage of boundaries. He celebrated his maiden T20I fifty for Afghanistan in just 20 deliveries, the fastest for his side in the format. He bettered Mohammad Nabi’s 21-ball effort against Ireland in 2017.
Omarzai offered no clemency to Ayush Shukla in the 19th over and dispatched the first ball, bereft of pace, in front of the sightscreen for a maximum. On the next ball, he smoked the ball over deep extra cover. For the third delivery, he took his time before depositing the ball into the mid-wicket fence.
On the fourth, he cleverly opened the face of his bat and steered the full toss to the third man to complete his half-century. His fruitful exploits eventually ended after he ballooned the ball high in the air and landed in Aizaz Khan’s hands, forcing him to return on 53 (off 21 balls, with two fours and five sixes).
Omarzai had done the irreparable damage as Afghanistan garnered 78 runs from the last five overs to hammer 188/6 on the board. Afghanistan’s belligerent innings was fuelled by Hong Kong’s shambolic display on the field. They dropped five catches, the most in a team innings in the T20 Asia Cup.
Opener Sediqullah Atal, who returned unbeaten with 73 (off 52 balls, with six fours and three sixes), was dropped thrice, with the first instance occurring in the opening over itself. Mohammed Nabi (33 in 26 balls, with three fours and a six) struck a 51-run stand for the third wicket with Atal.
The dropped chances and wayward bowling towards the end allowed Afghanistan to script a comeback in the contest and post a competitive total. Kinchit Shah (2/24) and Ayush (2/54) were among the top bowlers for Hong Kong wickets-wise.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 188/6 (Sediqullah Atal 73*, Azmatullah Omarzai 53, Kinchit Shah 2/24) beat Hong Kong: 94/9 (Babar Hayat 39, Yasim Murtaza 16, Gulbadin Naib 2/8). (ANI)
