Asia Cup 2025: Afghanistan Crush Hong Kong by 94 Runs

The Asia Cup 2025 got underway in Abu Dhabi with a one-sided but instructive Group B opener. Afghanistan entered the clash as heavy favourites against Hong Kong, a side still seeking consistency at the highest level. While the result went as expected, the manner of the victory exposed both the strength and the vulnerabilities of the Afghan side.

• Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first.
• After stumbling to 95/6 in 13 overs, they were rescued by Sediqullah Atal (73* off 52) and Azmatullah Omarzai (53 off 21), who lifted the total to 188/6.
• Hong Kong’s chase never gained momentum: they finished on 94/9 in 20 overs, with only Babar Hayat (39) showing resistance.

The final numbers underline Afghanistan’s dominance and Hong Kong’s struggles, providing a concise summary of the encounter.

This opener confirmed Afghanistan’s superiority in power-hitting and depth, but also served as a cautionary tale: early collapses can cost dearly against elite opposition. For Hong Kong, the match highlighted the gulf in class — they battled hard but lacked the batting backbone to sustain a chase of this magnitude. Afghanistan marched forward with confidence, though with clear lessons to absorb before tougher assignments.