Azmatullah Omarzai hit the fastest T20I fifty by an Afghanistan batter, scoring 53 off 21 balls against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2025 opener, including three consecutive sixes, helping Afghanistan post a competitive 188/6
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai played a quickfire half-century knock in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2025 against Hong Kong at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, September 9.
However, Azmatullah Omarzai’s blistering knock of 53 off 21 balls provided late-overs momentum, turning the innings around with aggressive hitting and crucial boundaries that helped Afghanistan post a competitive total on the board.
Fastest fifty by an Afghanistan batter in T20Is
Azmatullah Omarzai entered the history books by becoming the fastest to score fifty by an Afghanistan batter in the history of T20I. Omarzai could not have asked for a better way to bring up his maiden T20I fifty by reaching the milestone in just 20 balls, breaking Afghanistan’s T20I record for the fastest fifty and setting the tone for a strong team total.
In the penultimate over of Afghanistan’s innings, the 25-year-old was batting on 31 when he smashed three consecutive sixes and a boundary off Hong Kong’s medium pacer Ayush Shukla to complete his maiden T20I fifty, taking just 20 balls and electrifying the sparse crowd at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
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Azmatullah Omarzai walked in to bat when Afghanistan were reeling at 95/4 after Gulbadin Naib’s dismissal and joined Sediqullah Atal at the crease to carry on the team’s batting. A strong partnership was needed in the middle to stabilize Afghanistan’s innings and rebuild momentum after early wickets. Hong Kong might have felt the momentum was there on their side until Sediqullah and Omarzai frustrated their bowling attack.
The pair formed a crucial 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take Afghanistan past the 170-run mark until Ayush Shukla ended Omarzai’s stay at the crease. Ayush avenged his earlier expensive over by dismissing Omarzai, ending the batter’s explosive innings.
Azmatullah Omarzai hailed for his knock
Azmatullah Omarzai’s explosive half-century in the opener against Hong Kong did not go unnoticed by the fans as they lauded the all-rounder for his blazing fifty, aggressive hitting, and game-changing performance that resulted in Afghanistan posting a strong total on the board.
Taking to his X handle (formerly Twitter), the netizens and fans hailed Azmatullah Omarzai as the ‘superstar’ of Afghanistan cricket, while others commended his match-winning approach and quick scoring when the team was looking to stabilize their batting.
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Azmatullah Omarzai made his T20I debut for Afghanistan against Bangladesh in 2022, and since then, he has steadily risen through the ranks with his explosive batting, handy bowling, and ability to perform under pressure. In his T20I career, Omarzai has aggregated 481 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 15.27 in 53 matches.