Afghanistan outplay Hong Kong to win Asia Cup 2025, Group B opener by 94 runs
Rashid Khan says having good spinners "puts extra pressure" on opposition
Adds it was a tough call to leave out off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan acknowledged the pivotal role played by their power-packed spin battery, which includes him, after the Afghans romped to a 94-run victory over Hong Kong in the opening match of the Asia Cup T20 2025 tournament in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (September 9).
An inexperienced Hong Kong got squeezed against both pace and the three Afghan spinners before they struggled to reach 94/9, with Babar Hayat (39) and captain Yasim Murtaza (16) the only two batters to breach the double-figure mark. Rashid, Noor Ahmad and AM Ghazanfar choked Hong Kong by conceding just 44 runs in 10 overs between them, with the skipper and Ahmad grabbing one wicket each.
Rashid said at the post-match presentation: "If you have good spinners, it puts extra pressure. If you have runs on the board… with batters trying to take risks, that is where you are more effective (as spinners), and that is why we are defending better than chasing."
He added: "But in T20, we have to chase also, so the mentality has to be to chase as well and have a good record."
The all-rounder further said that it was hard to leave out star off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. When asked about having so many bowling options, he said, "That is a very tough ask, (selecting) the playing eleven (also). To keep Mujeeb out is a tough decision, then Noor as well (was left out) in some games.
"I forgot to bowl my two overs (tonight at first). You have to see who is more successful against a particular batter (and then see). Good thing is I have options and that makes the job easier."
What Player of the Match Azmatullah Omarzai Said
Player of the Match Azmatullah Omarzai, who smacked five sixes to register Afghanistan’s fastest T20 half-century — off 20 balls — lauded the team management's belief in him. He said: "(It is) Very tough batting in the lower order, (it's) all about belief. The captain and coach have belief in me; I was trying to back myself and was trying to hit straight with the ball coming on nice.
"We lost early wickets, so I was just speaking to Sediqullah that we will bat till the 16th and then look for boundaries. We were looking to hit straight and were looking for our favourite balls (to hit)."
Hong Kong Captain Yasim Murtaza's Reaction
On the other hand, losing captain Yasim Murtaza called the experience of playing Afghanistan "like a dream come true". He said: "We know Asia Cup is one of the bigger tournaments in Asia, so we were really excited for that.
"I was not expecting that total on the board. At one stage, I was thinking they would get 150. Credit goes to their batters, especially Omarzai, getting 50 off 20 balls - that is a game-changer. The positive things for us was Babar with the bat and our spinners bowled well. Once we go back from here, at least we have something to work on."
