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Afghanistan Thrashes Hong Kong by 94 Runs in Asia Cup 2025 Opener

Afghanistan dominated Hong Kong by 94 runs in the 1st match of the Asia Cup 2025. Azmatullah Omarzai's blistering 53 and a stellar bowling performance guided Afghanistan to a convincing win.

Date: September 9, 2025 | Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Afghanistan kicked off their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with an emphatic 94-run win over Hong Kong in the tournament's opening match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match saw explosive batting from Afghanistan's middle order and a clinical bowling performance that left Hong Kong reeling.

Afghanistan's Batting Dominance

Afghanistan posted a daunting total of 188/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The highlight of their innings was Azmatullah Omarzai, who played a blistering knock of 53 runs from just 21 balls. His remarkable strike rate of 252.38 included two fours and five sixes, leaving the Hong Kong bowlers frustrated.

Other notable contributions came from Sediqullah Atal, who remained unbeaten on 73 runs off 52 balls, while Nabi (33 from 26) and Rashid Khan (3 from 1) provided useful support. Afghanistan's total of 188 was always going to be a tough ask for Hong Kong, given the in-form nature of their batting line-up.

Hong Kong's Struggle

In response, Hong Kong never seemed to get going. The wickets kept tumbling as Afghanistan's bowlers tore through the batting line-up. Babar Hayat was the top scorer for Hong Kong with 39 runs from 43 balls, but it was not enough to chase down Afghanistan's target.

Hong Kong found themselves at 94/9 in just 20 overs, with several players getting out to poor shot selections and brilliant Afghan fielding. Zeeshan Ali (5 runs), Anshuman Rath (0 runs), and Nizakat Khan (0 runs) all fell cheaply, and the writing was on the wall.

Outstanding Afghan Bowlers:

The bowling was a team effort, with Azmatullah Omarzai (1/4), Gulbadin Naib (2/8), and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/16) leading the charge. Even Rashid Khan, despite not getting a lot of wickets, contributed to the pressure, making sure Hong Kong couldn’t settle into their chase.

In the end, Afghanistan’s 94-run victory was comprehensive and set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

Player of the Match:

The Player of the Match award went to Azmatullah Omarzai, whose all-round performance (53 runs and 1/4 with the ball) was key to Afghanistan's dominating win.

Todays Match

IND VS UAE

Dubai

6.30 PM

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