ASIA CUP 2025
Afghanistan picked up four wickets in the powerplay to send their opponents spiralling © AFP
Afghanistan kickstarted their Asia Cup campaign with an emphatic 94-run win. Even as the stage was set by contrasting half-centuries by Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai, it was Hong Kong’s top-order failure that turned it into a one-sided affair in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday. It was the third biggest margin in the history of the Men’s Asia Cup.
Where was the match won?
Hong Kong were pegged back in the powerplay itself, a point from where they found themselves in no position to script a fightback.
Parameters AFG HK Score 41/2 23/4 Run-rate 6.83 3.83 4s/6s 5/1 1/0
Afghanistan
Powerplay: Double strike keeps AFG in check
Phase Score: 41/2 [RR: 6.83; 5x4s, 1x6s]
Taking advantage of a dropped catch, Sediqullah Atal smashed three boundaries in the opening over to get Afghanistan off to a powerful start. However, Hong Kong clawed their way back with a couple of strikes – Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran falling in successive overs – and a wicket-maiden by Ateeq Iqbal
Middle overs: Afghanistan struggle to break-free despite Nabi cameo
Phase Score: 69/2 [RR: 7.67; 3x4s; 2x6s]
Led by skipper Yasim Murtuza’s clever variations in pace and lengths, Hong Kong kept Afghanistan in check through the middle overs. Even as Mohammad Nabi brought his wily experience to good use to find useful runs through the middle overs, Atal struggled to lift the pace. Nabi and Atal stitched a handy 51-run stand for the third wicket, but Hong Kong again clawed back with Kinchit Shah striking twice.
Death overs: Atal, Omarzai blaze away
Phase Score: 78/2 [RR: 15.6; 3x4s, 7x6s]
Even as Hong Kong had done well to ensure Afghanistan didn’t run away with their innings for most parts, four dropped catches and missed run out chances came to haunt them later in the innings as Azmatullah Omarzai and Atal cut loose in the death overs. Atal smashed Iqbal for back-to-back sixes in the 17th over, while Omarzai smashed three successive sixes and a boundary off Ayush Shukla in the penultimate over and powered away to a 20-ball half-century, the fastest for Afghanistan in T20Is.
Hong Kong
Powerplay: Hong Kong pegged back early
Phase Score: 23/4 [RR: 3.83; 1x4s, 0x6s]
Within the first two overs, Afghanistan pacers sent both the Hong Kong openers back to the dugout, and the latter could never recover from thereon. Nizakat Khan was run out courtesy a direct hit by Rashid Khan a few overs later, and Kalhan Challu found himself short of a direct hit from Omarzai in the fifth over. Despite two run outs, Afghanistan were also largely sloppy on the field, missing a couple of run out opportunities and dropping two catches in the powerplay.
Middle overs: Hong Kong struggle to break free
Phase Score: 50/2 [RR: 5.56; 0x4s, 2x6s]
Even as Babar Hayat managed to brace through the early damage, he couldn’t maintain the pace required for Hong Kong to have any realistic hopes in the chase. He slammed Karim Janat for a couple of sixes in the 12th over, but that was to offer little trouble to Afghanistan as the spin trio of Allah Ghazanfar, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad kept the scoring in check.
Death overs: Hong Kong resist but fail to make a difference
Phase Score: 20/3 [RR: 4.00; 1x4s, 0x6s]
With not much to play for, Hong Kong did well to take the game till the end as consolation. The lower order offered some resistance but that would do little to help them narrow the defeat margin by any significant stretch.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan 188/6 in 20 overs (Sediqullah Atal 73*, Azmatullah Omarzai 53; Kinchit Shah 2-24) beat Hong Kong 94/9 in 20 overs (Babar Hayat 39, Yasim Murtuza 16; Gulbadin Naib 2-8) by 94 runs
© Cricbuzz
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