Atal, Omarzai, and the bowlers from Afghanistan easily broke down the Hong Kong team

Atal, Omarzai, and the bowlers from Afghanistan easily broke down the Hong Kong team

Asia Cup 2025: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong: Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in tournament opener. All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s record-breaking T20 half-century highlighted Afghanistan’s confident start to the Asia Cup 2025.

In a battle between Hong Kong and Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai proved to be the best player on the field. Despite the scorching 41°C heat, he blazed through with Afghanistan’s fastest T20I fifty, showing no signs of slowing down. His fiery knock came at a time when Hong Kong’s fielding was falling apart, with three dropped catches and two quick run-outs. Afghanistan, a Full Member team, posted a strong total of 188 for 6 far too much for Associate nation Hong Kong, who fell short by 94 runs.

Sediqullah Atal was another standout for Afghanistan. Just 24 years old, he showed maturity beyond his years. He looked confident on both front and back foot and handled the slow pitch in Abu Dhabi well. At the end of the power play, he had scored 26 off 17 balls with five boundaries, while his partner had only managed 14 off 19. Hong Kong tried to slow him down with spin, but couldn’t take advantage of the pressure. Atal was dropped three times on 4, 46, and again after reaching his fifty and made the most of those chances, finishing unbeaten on 73 off 52 balls.

Afghanistan were 119 for 4 after 16 overs, and Hong Kong’s spinners had done well to control the middle phase. Murtaza slowed the pace down to as low as 70kph, while Kinchit Shah picked up wickets. Between overs 10 and 14, they gave away just 24 runs and took two wickets. But that brought Omarzai to the crease, and he changed the game. When the fast bowlers returned in the 17th over, he exploded. In just 18 balls, Afghanistan added 60 runs. Omarzai smashed three sixes and a four off Ayush Shukla to reach his fifty in just 20 balls, showing both power and finesse on a tough pitch.

Hong Kong’s troubles continued with the bat. Anshuman Rath was given out caught behind early, even though replays showed he hadn’t touched the ball. His partner Zeeshan Ali convinced him not to review the decision. Then Rashid Khan ran out Nizakat Khan for a duck after a misjudged single. Later, Azmatullah Omarzai added another run-out to his tally, catching Kalhan Challu off guard after the batter wandered out of his crease. Challu, who had been backed by his captain at the toss, managed just 4 off 8 balls.

Hong Kong’s batting collapse saw them lose four wickets in the powerplay joint-second most in Asia Cup history. Only two of their batters reached double figures, and none scored at a run-a-ball rate. With the score at 63 for 6, their goal shifted to simply surviving the full 20 overs. They did, but ended with just 94 for 9, highlighting the clear gap in quality between the two sides.