Afghanistan secured a resounding 94-run victory against Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener. Despite early setbacks, a late surge led by Omarzai’s blistering half-century propelled them to a commanding total, setting the stage for a dominant win.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan was pleased about the manner in which his side coasted to an emphatic 94-run victory with consummate ease in the Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
But the past mistakes returned to haunt Hong Kong with Sediqullah Atal, who was dropped thrice in the first innings, and was bludgeoned 25 runs off Ateeq Iqbal in the 17th over.
Loss of early wickets after batting first
Azmatullah Omarzai brought thunder down the ground and tonked three towering maximums on the trot to bring up his maiden T20I fifty in the 19th. Before losing his wicket, Omarzai ensured that Afghanistan garnered 24 runs from the penultimate over off Ayush Shukla. Afghanistan blazed its way to a daunting 188/6, courtesy of a staggering 78 runs from the last five overs.
“It was a great game. Good to put the total on the board. In the last series as well, (losing) early wickets – that is very key for us and we have to look into it. That’s one area we need to improve. Batting in the death overs was a great effort. Especially Omarzai. We have good spinners,” Rashid said in the post-match presentation.
“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,” Rashid concluded.
Omarzai shines with fastest T20I fifty for Afghanistan
Omarzai brought up his half-century in just 20 deliveries, the fastest for Afghanistan in the T20Is. At the end, it was Shukla who had the last laugh after Omarzai ballooned the ball high in the air and landed in Aizaz Khan’s hands, forcing him to return on 53(21).
His fruitful outing continued with the ball after he scythed Zeeshan Ali’s wicket and returned with economical figures of 1/4 after his two-over spell. For the former number one ODI all-rounder, the defining moment of the game that came from his bat was a result of the belief entrusted in him by skipper Rashid and coach Jonathan Trott.
“Very tough batting in the lower order. It is all about belief. The captain and coach have a 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 I am a proper batter (smiles),” Omarzai, who was crowned Player of the Match, said during the presentation.
Hong Kong Captain was not expecting a huge total by Afghanistan
Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza didn’t shy away from admitting that Afghanistan’s total took him by surprise, especially when he was expecting 150. Despite ending up on the wrong side of the result, Murtaza enjoyed every moment of the fixture and dwelled on the positives.
“Feels like a dream come true. We know the Asia Cup is one of the bigger tournaments in Asia, so we were really excited for that. I was not expecting that total on the board. At one stage, I was thinking they would get 150. Credit goes to their batters, especially Omarzai, getting 50 off 20 balls – that is a game-changer. The positive things for us were Babar with the bat and our spinners bowled well. Once we go back from here, at least we have something to work on,” Murtaza said.