Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong Highlights, T20 Asia Cup 2025: Omarzai's Fifty, Disciplined Bowling Help AFG Win By 94 Runs

Hello and welcome to the yet another live blog, but this time it will be cricket. The continental showdown T20 Asia Cup 2025 begins today at Abu Dhabi between Afghanistan and Hing Kong. Stay tuned for the live updates.

Afghanistan and Hong Kong have played five T20Is so far, with the former leading 3-2. Their last meeting was in the 2016 T20 World Cup first-round group stage.

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Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong: Highest Totals In T20Is

1. 178/7 – Afghanistan vs Hong Kong (February 22, 2016)

2. 166/6 – Hong Kong vs Afghanistan (November 28, 2015)

3. 162/5 – Hong Kong vs Afghanistan (July 21, 2015)

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The Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025 opener will be live on the Sony Sports Network in India.

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Afghanistan Squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hong Kong Squad: Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali, Niazakat Khan Mohammad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif, Ghazanfar Mohammad, Mohammad Waheed, Ehsan Khan

Tomorrow, India will play the United Arab Emirates to begin their competition in Dubai. Bangladesh will then play Hong Kong in the second group match in Abu Dhabi. The crucial India-Pakistan game will take place in Dubai on Sunday. View the complete schedule here.

Afghnaistan won the toss and elected to bat first.

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hong Kong Playing XI: Yasim Murtaza (c), Zeeshan Ali (wk), Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah

Right then! The stage is set for the curtain raiser of the Asia Cup 2025. The umpires make their way out to the middle, followed by the Afghan players. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the aggressive wicketkeeper-batter, and the young left-hander Sediqullah Atal stride out with purpose to open the innings for Afghanistan.

FOUR! What a cracking start to the Asia Cup 2025. Sediqullah Atal wastes no time, finding the boundary with authority, and Afghanistan are up and running in style right from the very first ball.

Edged and dropped! A huge let-off for Sediqullah Atal. Yasim at first slip had the chance served on a platter after Atal’s tentative poke produced a thick edge, but despite getting both hands to it, he spills the sitter. Afghanistan breathe easy, and the bowler can only hold his head in disbelief.

A shaky start for Hong Kong in this high-pressure clash. The first over bleeds 12 runs, and to compound the frustration, skipper Yasim shells a straightforward chance in the slips. Not the kind of opening they would have wanted in such a big contest.

SIX AND OUT! Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s aggressive intent finally backfires. After sending Ayush Shukla soaring over the boundary, he attempts another big shot but miscues it straight into the hands of the fielder. Shukla strikes early for Hong Kong, breaking the opening stand and giving his side a much-needed breakthrough.

Superb glovework from Zeeshan Ali! Standing up to the stumps, he pulls off a sharp catch to send Ibrahim Zadran back. It wasn’t the best of deliveries from Ateeq Iqbal, but the edge was well pouched. Two quick wickets for Hong Kong, and suddenly Afghanistan are under a bit of pressure.

End of the Powerplay, and it’s advantage Hong Kong after a spirited fightback. Despite leaking 12 runs in the opening over, Ayush Shukla and Ateeq Iqbal struck in quick succession to peg Afghanistan back. At 41/2 after six overs, the Afghans now need a solid partnership to steady their innings.

Back-to-back boundaries from Mohammad Nabi — the “President” — inject momentum into Afghanistan’s innings. His clean strike over the ropes not only lifts the pressure but also brings up the team’s 50 in the seventh over. 15 runs from the over.

Drinks Break! Afghanistan have regrouped well after the early jolts, with Sediqullah Atal and Mohammad Nabi stitching together a steady 51-run partnership off 40 balls. The pair has steadied the ship, rotating strike smartly while keeping the scoreboard moving.

Yasim Murtaza floats one up outside off, tempting Sediqullah Atal forward. Atal charges in but can’t quite get to it, the ball straightens up unexpectedly and pops off the edge, trickling into the off side. No run, but a cheeky little arm-ball showing its tricks early.

And that’s the second!

Kinchit Shah strikes again, Gulbadin can’t hang on this time. Bowling round the wicket, Kinchit drifts it across at a teasingly slow pace. Gulbadin tries to loft it down the ground but gets it high on the bat, straight into the arms of Yasim Murtaza at cover. No mistakes there! Gulbadin gone for 5 off 8, and the pressure is really building now.

Sediqullah Atal moves to fifty after being dropped early, making the most of his reprieve. Steady at one end, he drives a flatter delivery past the off-side, picking up two well-placed runs despite the sweeper’s attempt to intervene, keeping Afghanistan on course for a competitive total.

AFG 119/4 (15.4)

And what a rollercoaster over this has been! Sediqullah Atal starts things off with a booming FOUR, big, confident hit, and that pushes the total up nicely. But Ateeq Iqbal is feeling the pressure now. He misses his line to the left-hander, bowling a wide well outside off, Sediqullah doesn’t even bother chasing that one.

Not done yet! Two more wides follow to Azmatullah, and Zeeshan Ali, standing up to the stumps, has to scramble to get a glove on one, deflecting it to short third. Twenty-five runs in the over and the momentum has swung dramatically, this game just exploded.

Oh, that’s massive! Ehsan Khan tosses one up to Azmatullah, and Omarzai just can’t resist. He digs in, steps out, and smashes it straight over deep mid-wicket, SIX. Hong Kong’s feeling that burn as Omarzai keeps piling on the pressure.

And that’s a big blow! Karim Janat goes hunting for the big one but can’t get it right. Ehsan Khan fires one full around off, Janat swings for the rope, but gets more height than distance. Nizakat Khan is perfectly positioned at long-on and takes it cleanly, no mistakes there! Janat gone for 2 off 3, and the pressure just keeps mounting.

Afghanistan post a commanding 188/6 after a rollercoaster start. Early wickets fell, but Sediqullah Atal and Nabi steadied the ship before the latter unleashed a late onslaught. Atal anchored brilliantly while Omarzai blazed the fastest-ever T20I fifty for Afghanistan, tearing Hong Kong apart in the final overs. Missed catches hurt Hong Kong badly, and now they face a steep chase as Afghanistan stroll into the break with all the momentum.

Welcome back for the chase! The players take their positions as Afghanistan look to defend their total. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball in hand, ready to steam in. Zeeshan Ali will face the first delivery, with skipper Anshuman Rath at the non-striker’s end.

What a start for Afghanistan! Fazalhaq Farooqi makes an immediate impact, removing Hong Kong skipper Anshuman Rath for a golden duck. The left-armer produced a peach of an outswinger on a length outside off, drawing Rath into a tentative poke. A faint glove through to Rahmanullah Gurbaz behind the stumps, and the appeal was upheld straightaway. Afghanistan strike in the very first over!

Brilliant work from Rashid Khan! A sharp pickup at mid-off followed by a direct hit at the bowler’s end catches Nizakat Khan short of his ground. The replays confirm the bat was just on the line when the bails came off. OUT is signaled, and Hong Kong lose another wicket to a moment of brilliance in the field.

Run out drama! Omarzai shows sharp reflexes in his follow-through, collecting the ball and firing it back onto the stumps at the striker’s end. Challu’s desperate dive looked promising, but the replays revealed his bat was in the air when the bails were dislodged. The big screen flashes OUT, and Afghanistan strike again.

End of the Powerplay and it’s all Afghanistan! The bowlers have been relentless with the new ball, reducing Hong Kong to 23/4 in their chase of 189. The pressure has been unrelenting, and the batters just haven’t found any momentum.

Tough Powerplay for Hong Kong! Their 23/4 puts them joint-second on the list for most wickets lost in the Powerplay in men’s T20 Asia Cup history. The only consolation is that five other teams have managed even fewer runs during the field restrictions.

Afghanistan remain firmly in command in Abu Dhabi, tightening the screws on Hong Kong who stumble to 43/5 after 9.5 overs. Hayat and Kinchit Shah had started to stitch a partnership, but just as it looked promising, Shah departed on the brink of the drinks break.

Much-needed relief for Hong Kong! Karim Janat’s first over goes for 16 runs, giving their innings a timely boost after a prolonged period of struggle.

Babar Hayat’s resistance comes to an end on 39 as Gulbadin Naib’s short-ball ploy pays off. Attempting a pull, Hayat is rushed for pace and skies a top edge to deep mid-wicket, where Sediqullah Atal takes a safe catch. Hong Kong slip further, now six down in their chase.

Top catch from “The President”! Aizaz Khan miscues Rashid Khan’s tossed-up delivery high into the Abu Dhabi sky, and Mohammad Nabi at long-on judges it brilliantly in the end, completing a reverse-cup grab. Rashid gets his first wicket, and Hong Kong slump further to seven down.

Gulbadin Naib strikes again! A clever leg-cutter deceives Murtaza, who plays all around it and is rapped on the back thigh right in front. The umpire raises the finger, and despite a review, UltraEdge shows no bat while ball-tracking returns three reds. The Hong Kong skipper has to go, and Afghanistan edge closer to victory.

That’s the end of the contest! Ayush Shukla swings and misses at a short delivery outside off, and with that, Afghanistan wrap up a dominant 94-run victory over Hong Kong. A clinical all-round performance sees them start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in style.