Afghanistan thrash Hong Kong to start Asia Cup in style

For a nation still reeling from the devastation of a recent earthquake, the resounding triumph offered a moment of joy and pride.

Winning the toss at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Afghan captain Rashid Khan opted to bat first, and his side piled up a commanding 188 for six wickets, thanks to opener Sediqullah Atal’s composed 73* and Azmatullah Omarzai’s blistering all-round display. In reply, Hong Kong crumbled to manage just  94 for nine.

The Afghans were jolted early, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (8) and Ibrahim Zadran (1) in quick succession with the scoreboard reading a precarious 26 for two. But Atal and veteran Mohammad Nabi steadied the innings, crafting a 51-run stand that shifted momentum. Nabi’s lively 33 off 26 balls laid the platform before he departed.

Omarzai then joined Atal and tore into Hong Kong’s bowling attack with a dazzling cameo. Their 82-run partnership came off just 35 balls, with Omarzai smashing 53 from 21 deliveries—an innings studded with five towering sixes and two boundaries. By the time he was caught at long-on, the damage had already been done.

Atal, calm and composed, carried his bat through the innings, anchoring Afghanistan to 188 with a fluent 73 off 52 balls.

For Hong Kong, captain Yasim Murtaza stood out with a miserly spell, conceding only 23 runs in four overs, while Ayush Shukla and Kinchit Shah claimed two wickets each. Yet their efforts were undone by sloppy fielding, as five catches went down during Afghanistan’s innings.

Chasing 189, Hong Kong’s top-order collapsed swiftly. Four wickets tumbled inside 22 runs, and though Babar Hayat (39) fought hard to stem the collapse, the lack of support doomed his effort. They limped to 94 for nine, barely clearing the halfway mark of Afghanistan’s total.

Afghan bowlers kept things tight across the board, with only Karim Janat proving slightly expensive (21 runs in two overs). The rest of the attack choked Hong Kong into submission.

This emphatic win not only boosted Afghanistan’s morale but also gave them a significant net run rate advantage (+4.700), which could prove crucial in their bid to reach the finals alongside the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Skipper Rashid Khan’s men have now set the tone for the tournament, sending an early warning to rivals that Afghanistan are here not just to compete, but to dominate.

Afghanistan next face Bangladesh on September 16, while the Tigers meet Hong Kong on Thursday, September 11. Later today, hosts UAE will take on India in the second match of the tournament, starting at 8:30 pm Bangladesh time, reports UNB.