Hong Kong bowler Ayush Shukla gave his team an early advantage in the Asia Cup 2025 opening, dismissing Afghanistan’s aggressive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s captain, won the toss and chose to bat in the tournament opener at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, fielding a spin-heavy lineup that included three spinners.
Ayush Shukla, Hong Kong’s first bowler, soon found his groove.
Gurbaz demonstrated early intent in his second over by dancing down the track and lofting a length ball over long-off for a crisp six. Shukla, on the other hand, answered superbly with the next ball, responding quickly to the opening batter and striking early for the Yasim Murtaza-led team.
On the very next delivery, he bowled a full ball with some away movement. Gurbaz, attempting to recreate the previous shot, mistimed his stroke severely. The ball blasted off the outer half of his bat and landed high over mid-off, where Nizakat Khan sprinted back to make a safe reverse-cup catch. Gurbaz left after a rapid eight off five balls.
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6️⃣ & OUT! ☝️
Hong Kong strike courtesy Ayush, Gurbaz departs 💥
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