Afghanistan register their biggest Asia Cup win, rout Hong Kong in opener in Abu Dhabi

Afghanistan kicked off their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a huge win of 94 runs against Hong Kong in the Group B clash on Tuesday, September 9. Afghanistan put up a brilliant all-round show to breeze past the minnows at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. 

Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai put up strong half-centuries as the Afghans scored 188/6 in their 20 overs. Their bowlers did well, coupled with the Hong Kong batters finding it hard to face them as they were restricted to 94/9 in their 20 overs.

This was Afghanistan’s biggest win in the T20 Asia Cup and third biggest overall, behind Pakistan’s 155-run victory and India’s 101-run win in the tournament. Afghanistan’s previous largest win by runs was the 66-run victory over Hong Kong in 2016. 

Omarzai scores fastest fifty for Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Omarzai scored the fastest-ever fifty for Afghanistan in T20I cricket. He got to the mark off 20 balls with five sixes and two fours in his innings. 

The record previously jointly belonged to Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib. Nabi had hit a fifty off 21 balls against Ireland in 2017, while Naib had scored a 21-ball fifty against Indian in 2024.

Fastest fifties for Afghanistan in T20Is:

1 – Azmatullah Omarzai: 20 balls vs Hong Kong in 2025

2 – Mohammad Nabi: 21 balls vs Ireland in 2017

3 – Gulbadin Naib: 21 balls vs India in 2024

4 – Najibullah Zadran: 22 balls vs UAE in 2016

5 – Hazratullah Zazai: 22 balls vs Ireland in 2018

Coming to the chase, Hong Kong were never really in the match. They lost their first three wickets for only 13 runs and kept and then another on 22 with two run outs in them. They kept losing their way as Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi picked two wickets each to send Hong Kong into a further downfall before restricting them to just 94 and winning the game by as many runs.

More to follow…