Afghanistan Crush Hong Kong by 94 Runs in Asia Cup Opener

The Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 burst into life on September 9, 2025, with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in a Group B clash at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium. Afghanistan’s captain, Rashid Khan, called correctly at the toss and chose to bat, eyeing a big total on a batsman-friendly pitch.

Afghanistan Innings

Out walked Afghanistan’s openers, Sediqullah Atal and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, to face Hong Kong’s bowlers under the bright Abu Dhabi sun. Gurbaz, a firecracker of a batsman, didn’t waste time. In the second over, Ayush Shukla steamed in, and Gurbaz responded with a monstrous six, lofted effortlessly over the leg side. The crowd roared, sensing an onslaught. But Shukla, undeterred, fired back in the same over, tempting Gurbaz into a loose drive that flew to Nizakat Khan at slip. Gurbaz was gone for 8 off 5 balls, his lone six giving him a strike rate of 160.00. Afghanistan were 25 for 1 after 2.2 overs, and Hong Kong had drawn first blood.

𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐙𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐧 🚩

Congratulations to our sensational top-order batter @IZadran18 for completing 50 T20I matches for Afghanistan. He's been one of our go-to batters in the format with 1299 runs at 30.20 and 10… pic.twitter.com/DtHwgyvTxQ

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025

Ibrahim Zadran strode in, hoping to steady things, but his stay was fleeting. Ateeq Iqbal, Hong Kong’s pacer, bowled a tight line in the third over, and Zadran, poking tentatively, nicked one to keeper Zeeshan Ali for just 1 run off 4 balls. At 26 for 2 after 3.2 overs, Afghanistan were wobbling, and Hong Kong’s bowlers were buzzing with confidence. The stage was set for a rescue act, and Mohammad Nabi, the seasoned campaigner, stepped up to deliver.

Nabi joined Atal, and the pair began rebuilding with a mix of caution and class. Nabi, cool as ever, worked the ball around, picking singles and doubles while unleashing the occasional boundary. His 33 off 26 balls included three fours and a six, each shot played with the assurance of a man who’s seen it all. Atal, meanwhile, played the anchor, rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard moving. Together, they stitched a vital 51-run stand for the third wicket, guiding Afghanistan past 50 in the eighth over.

Hong Kong’s spinners, Ehsan Khan and Yasim Murtaza, tried to choke the flow of runs, bowling tight lines to keep Nabi and Atal in check. But the duo found ways to counter, with Nabi particularly adept at piercing the field. The partnership ended in the 10th over when Kinchit Shah struck, getting Nabi caught by Nizakat Khan for 33. Afghanistan were 77 for 3 after 10.1 overs, still needing a spark to lift their innings. Gulbadin Naib arrived but couldn’t find his groove. He scratched around for 5 runs off 8 balls, no boundaries to his name, before Shah struck again in the 13th over, dismissing him via a catch to Yasim Murtaza. At 95 for 4 after 12.6 overs, Afghanistan were in big trouble. But, enter Azmatullah Omarzai, who turned the game upside down with a breathtaking display of power-hitting.

Omarzai walked in and immediately set the stadium alight. His 53 off 21 balls was a masterclass in T20 batting, featuring 2 fours and a jaw-dropping 5 sixes, delivered at a strike rate of 252.38. It was the fastest fifty by an Afghan in T20I history, a whirlwind knock that left Hong Kong’s bowlers shell-shocked. Atal, at the other end, played the perfect partner, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 73 off 52 balls, laced with 6 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 140.38. Their 82-run fifth-wicket stand was the game-changer, propelling Afghanistan toward a daunting total.

Omarzai’s onslaught was relentless. He took on everyone, spinners, pacers, it didn’t matter. In one over from Shukla, he launched two sixes, sending the ball soaring over midwicket and long-on. Atal, now in full flow, joined the party, reaching his half-century and adding crucial runs. By the 17th over, Afghanistan had crossed 150, and the momentum was firmly theirs. Hong Kong’s bowlers tried to claw back in the death overs.

Shukla returned in the 19th over, dismissing Omarzai for 53, caught by Aizaz Khan, with the score at 177 for 5 after 18.5 overs. Karim Janat came in but managed only 2 off 3 balls before Ehsan Khan had him caught by Nizakat Khan in the penultimate over. Rashid Khan, the captain, walked out for the final flourish, smashing 3 runs off a single ball to remain not out. Afghanistan finished at 188 for 6, with extras adding 10 runs (1 leg bye, 9 wides).

INNINGS CHANGE! 🔁#AfghanAtalan finished the first inning at 188/6, with Sediqullah Atal (73*), @AzmatOmarzay (53), and @MohammadNabi007 (33) putting on some terrific efforts with the bat. 👏

Over to our bowling unit now…! 👍#AsiaCup2025 | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/ZOUcW5wR2b

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025

Shukla led Hong Kong’s bowling with 2 wickets for 54 in 4 overs, expensive but effective. Kinchit Shah was the standout, taking 2 for 24 in 3 overs, while Ateeq Iqbal (1 for 32 in 3 overs) and Ehsan Khan (1 for 28 in 4 overs) chipped in. Aizaz Khan (0 for 26 in 2 overs) and Yasim Murtaza (0 for 23 in 4 overs) kept things tight but couldn’t break through. Afghanistan’s innings, built on Atal’s grit and Omarzai’s fireworks, set a challenging target of 189, with a run rate of 9.40 reflecting their late surge.

Hong Kong’s Innings

Chasing 189 under the Abu Dhabi lights, Hong Kong’s batsmen faced a daunting task against Afghanistan’s potent bowling attack. Openers Zeeshan Ali and Anshy Rath took guard, but disaster struck immediately. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Afghanistan’s pace ace, struck with the first ball, inducing an edge from Rath that keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz gleefully accepted. Rath was gone for a duck, and Hong Kong were 1 for 1 after 0.2 overs.

Taken in the deep! 👏

Karim Jannat takes an incredible catch in the deep to help Noor Ahmad get his first wicket in the game. ☝️

🇭🇰- 43/5 (9.5 Ov)#AfghanAtalan | #AsiaCup2025 | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/CM0IpbkWp8

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025

Zeeshan Ali tried to hold firm but fell in the second over to Azmatullah Omarzai, caught by Mohammad Nabi for 5 off 6 balls, including one four. At 12 for 2 after 1.6 overs, Hong Kong were reeling. Captain Nizakat Khan’s arrival was a non-event as he was run out for a duck without facing a ball, thanks to a pinpoint throw from Rashid Khan. At 13 for 3 after 2.2 overs, the chase was already in tatters. Kalhan Challu joined Babar Hayat, and the pair scraped together 9 runs for the fourth wicket.

Challu managed 4 off 8 balls before Omarzai’s sharp fielding led to his run-out in the fifth over, leaving Hong Kong at 22 for 4 after 4.3 overs. Kinchit Shah partnered Hayat next, adding 21 runs for the fifth wicket, but Shah’s 6 off 10 balls ended when Noor Ahmad had him caught by Karim Janat in the 10th over. At 43 for 5 after 9.5 overs, Hong Kong’s hopes were fading fast.

Babar Hayat stood tall amid the wreckage, crafting a gritty 39 off 43 balls with 3 sixes at a strike rate of 90.69. He and Yasim Murtaza added 20 runs for the sixth wicket, pushing Hong Kong past 50 in the 12th over. But Gulbadin Naib, bowling with pinpoint accuracy, broke through in the 13th over, getting Hayat caught by Sediqullah Atal. The score was 63 for 6 after 12.5 overs, and the chase was slipping away. Aizaz Khan joined Murtaza, adding 15 runs for the seventh wicket.

Aizaz scored 6 off 10 balls before Rashid Khan had him caught by Nabi in the 17th over, with the score at 78 for 7 after 16.2 overs. Murtaza, battling on with 16 off 26 balls, including one four, was trapped lbw by Naib in the 19th over, leaving Hong Kong at 91 for 8 after 18.4 overs. Ehsan Khan chipped in with 6 off 11 balls before Farooqi dismissed him, caught and bowled in the final over, at 93 for 9 after 19.2 overs. Ayush Shukla (1 not out off 2 balls) and Ateeq Iqbal (1 not out off 3 balls) limped to the finish, with Hong Kong ending at 94 for 9. Extras contributed 10 runs (1 leg bye, 9 wides).

RESULT | AFGHANISTAN WON BY 94 RUNS 🚨#AfghanAtalan were clinical with both bat and ball as they went past Hong Kong by 94 runs to start their run at the #AsiaCup2025 on a winning note. 👏#AFGvHK | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/iKi8J4G6vG

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025

Afghanistan’s bowlers were relentless as Farooqi took 2 for 16 in 3 overs, Naib was miserly with 2 for 8 in 3 overs, while Omarzai (1 for 4 in 2 overs), Noor Ahmad (1 for 16 in 4 overs), and Rashid (1 for 24 in 4 overs) each struck once. AM Ghazanfar (0 for 4 in 2 overs) and Karim Janat (0 for 21 in 2 overs) kept the pressure on. Hong Kong’s powerplay yielded just 23 for 4, and their run rate of 4.70 told the story of a chase that never got going.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

The match’s defining moment came early in Afghanistan’s innings, when Hong Kong’s bowlers rocked them with two quick wickets. In the 2.2nd over, Ayush Shukla dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 8 off 5 balls, caught by Nizakat Khan after a blazing six.

4 wickets under 100 – Hong Kong are keeping it tight 💪

Asia Cup opener LIVE 👉 https://t.co/eo5GtCWQob pic.twitter.com/Y99MCv49Tr

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2025

An over later, Ateeq Iqbal struck, removing Ibrahim Zadran for 1 off 4 balls, caught by Zeeshan Ali. At 26 for 2 after 3.2 overs, Afghanistan were in trouble, but Sediqullah Atal’s unbeaten 73 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s explosive 53 turned the tide. Those early strikes by Hong Kong were a thrilling moment, setting up a dramatic recovery.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Gulbadin Naib was the undisputed star, earning TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his sensational bowling. Defending 189, Naib bowled 3 overs for just 8 runs, taking 2 wickets at an economy of 2.66.

Gullo brings out the guns! 💪@GbNaib flexes his muscles for the second time in the game as he bags a wicket for the 2nd time tonight to help #AfghanAtalan maintain their dominance in the game. 👏☝️

🇭🇰- 91/8 (18.4 Ov)#AsiaCup2025 | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/seNptuC0L8

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025

His 11 dot balls choked Hong Kong’s batsmen, dismissing Babar Hayat (39 off 43) and Yasim Murtaza (16 off 26) to break their resistance. Hong Kong crumbled to 94 for 9, falling 94 runs short, and Naib’s disciplined spell, backed by Farooqi and Rashid, sealed Afghanistan’s commanding win.