Afghanistan Kick Off Asia Cup 2025 with a Thumping Win

Afghanistan started their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in style, securing a dominant 94-run victory over Hong Kong in the opening match held in Dubai.

Batting first, Afghanistan posted a commanding total of 188/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was anchored by opener Sediqullah Atal, who remained unbeaten on 73 off 52 balls. Towards the end, Azmatullah Omarzai played a blistering knock of 53 runs from just 21 balls. Earlier, Atal and Mohammad Nabi added 51 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings before Atal and Omarzai powered a quick-fire 82-run stand off just 35 balls to set up a huge total.

Chasing 189, Hong Kong’s innings collapsed early. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Omarzai’s fiery spell reduced them to 23/4 in the powerplay. From there, they never recovered as Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmad cleaned up the middle and lower order. Hong Kong eventually limped to 94/9 in their 20 overs.

With such a resounding win in the opener, Afghanistan not only bagged crucial points but also boosted their net run rate significantly, making a strong statement at the very start of the tournament.