Afghanistan defeated Hong Kong by 94 runs in the Asia Cup 2025 opening match on September 9, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan chose to bat first but struggled to find their rhythm, losing two quick wickets during the powerplay and handing Hong Kong an early lead.
Sediqullah Atal held the innings together, with valuable assistance from Azmatullah Omarzai in the middle and at the end. Atal remained unbeaten on 73 from 52 balls, while Omarzai scored a quick 53 from 21 deliveries to help Afghanistan reach a competitive total of 188 for 6. Ayush Shukla and Kinchit Shah each took two wickets for Hong Kong.
Chasing the target, Hong Kong lost four wickets in the powerplay for only 23 runs and struggled to gain momentum throughout the innings. They eventually achieved only 94, falling far short of their goal. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib each took two wickets, giving their team a strong start in the continental competition.
Who Said What?
Azmatullah Omarzai, Player of the Match
Very tough batting in the lower order. It is all about belief. The captain and coach have belief in me. Was trying to hit it straight. We lost early wickets. I was speaking to Atal that we will go for boundaries after the 16th over. When I get the ball, I feel am a proper bowler. When I get to bat, I feel am a proper batter
Yasim Murtaza, Hong Kong (Losing Captain)
Just feels like dream come true (On playing the Asia Cup). It is one of the biggest tournament of Asia. To be honest, we weren’t expecting that kind of total. I was expecting 150. Credit to Omarzai, he changed the game. Babar Hayat with the bat and the spinners were positives from the game.
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan (Winning Captain)
Was a great game. Good to put total on the board. Wickets early on is the key for us. We had the same issue in the last series. That’s one area we need to improve. Batting in the death overs was a great effort. Specially, Omarzai. We have good spinners. It puts pressure on the opposition
. When you put runs on the board, batters will take risks and we have a chance to pick wickets. We will try to have a good record while chasing as well. Tough ask to see what is the playing XI. To keep Mujeeb out, it was a tough call. You sometimes look for combinations. The good thing is I have options and that makes it easier for me.
India
