Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025 Highlights: Afghanistan win by 94 runs in tournament opener

Rashid Khan to Yasim Murtaza, Pushed through, on the stumps, spinning away. Yasim Murtaza pushes hard at it, but inside edges it past the stumps towards backward square leg. A single taken.

Rashid Khan to Aizaz Khan, On the shorter side again and outside off, Aizaz Khan punches it down to long off for a single.

Rashid Khan (2-0-15-0) is back on. He replaces Gulbadin Naib.

Rashid Khan to Yasim Murtaza, Drops it short and just outside off, Yasim Murtaza cuts it hard towards deep point for a single.

Karim Janat to Yasim Murtaza, Hard length and on middle, angling in, Yasim Murtaza works it through square leg for one more. Much better from Janat, concedes just 5 runs in this over!

Karim Janat to Aizaz Khan, Bangs in a bouncer, outside off, Aizaz Khan drags his pull off the bottom end towards deep mid-wicket for one.

Karim Janat to Yasim Murtaza, Short of a length and around off, Yasim Murtaza pulls it on the bounce to deep square leg for another run.

Karim Janat to Aizaz Khan, Bashes the hard length, around middle and off, Aizaz Khan swipes it towards square leg and scampers to the other end.

Karim Janat to Yasim Murtaza, Hurls it on a shorter length around off, Yasim Murtaza punches it off the back foot across on the leg side for a single.

Karim Janat to Yasim Murtaza, A huge shout for LBW, but turned down by the umpire and Rashid Khan has decided to send it upstairs! Karim Janat bowls it from round the wicket and keeps it on a length over off. Yasim Murtaza gets squared up a bit to flick that across off the back foot but gets pinged on the back leg. There is nothing on the UltraEdge, but the Ball Tracking shows impact outside off, so the NOT OUT call stays. Afghanistan have burnt both their reviews now.

Gulbadin Naib to Aizaz Khan, Pitched up, on middle, swings in late, Aizaz Khan looks to drive but gets a bottom edge towards mid on.

Aizaz Khan is in at 8.

Gulbadin Naib to Babar Hayat, OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! Gulbadin Naib gets among the wickets now! He bangs this into the pitch, on off. Babar Hayat stays back and looks to pull it away but the ball gets a bit big on him. It takes the top edge and flies towards deep mid-wicket. Sediqullah Atal runs forward and to his right, sits on his knee and takes a fine catch with the ball dying on him a bit. Hayat departs for a gritty 39 off 43, and Hong Kong, China are 63/6, still needing 126 runs in 43 balls.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, On a length and on midde, Yasim Murtaza nudges it thorugh square leg for another run.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, Goes wide off the crease, and bowls it on a good length outside off, gets the ball to shape away a bit. Yasim Murtaza shapes to drive that on the off side, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Gulbadin Naib to Babar Hayat, Delivers a slower delivery, full around the stumps, Babar Hayat looks to heave it across but ends up chipping it over the bowler for a single.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, On top of off, on a length, Yasim Murtaza clips it through square leg for a run.

Karim Janat to Babar Hayat, Much fuller and on off, Babar Hayat drills it out to sweeper covers for a brace. 16 runs off the over!

Karim Janat to Babar Hayat, SIX! Stand and deliver! Karim Janat bangs this into the pitch, around off, takes pace off too. Babar Hayat stands tall, extends his arms, and swats it over the long on fence for a biggie. Hong Kong, China need a lot more of these.

Karim Janat to Yasim Murtaza, Great effort from the keeper! Back of a length and on off, Yasim Murtaza looks to push it away but gets an inside edge to the left of the keeper and sets off for the run. Rahmanullah Gurbaz removes his right glove, runs to his left, picks up and fires in a good throw at the stumps on the batter's end. However, Hayat has put in an excellent dive and is well inside, as confirmed by the replay as well.

Karim Janat to Babar Hayat, Bashes the hard length outside off, gets the pace off from the delivery. Babar Hayat slaps it down to long off and takes a run.

Karim Janat to Babar Hayat, SIX! Sweetly struck! Karim Janat bangs it on the shorter length and around middle and off. The ball sets up nicely, as Babar Hayat clears his front leg and thumps it over wide long on for a cracking six.

Karim Janat to Babar Hayat, Bowls it shorter at the batter, gets it to skid through the surface. Babar Hayat looks to pull that across, but gets cramped up and ends up pushing it back to the bowler.

Pace from both ends now. Karim Janat replaces Noor Ahmad.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, Touch fuller and on middle, Yasim Murtaza pushes it off the outer half of the bat to covers. Just one run off the over!

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, Swing and a miss! Gulbadin Naib sees the batter advance and serves this full, well outside off, Yasim Murtaza is nowhere near it but still swings wildy across the line, only to connect with thin air.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, Hard length and around off, Yasim Murtaza stays in his crease, hangs his bat away and stabs it back to the bowler.

Gulbadin Naib to Yasim Murtaza, Bowls it on a length and outside off. Yasim Murtaza sets to cut it through but the ball catches the bottom edge and gets behind to the keeper.

Gulbadin Naib to Babar Hayat, Dishes out a slower, low full toss delivery over off, Babar Hayat strokes it down to long off for a single.

Gulbadin Naib to Babar Hayat, Full and swinging in, around the pads. Babar Hayat looks to flick that across, but misses. Interestingly, no wide given by the umpire.

At the same stage, Afghanistan were 77/2. Gulbadin Naib is introduced into the attack. He replaces Rashid Khan.

Noor Ahmad to Yasim Murtaza, A googly, on a fullish length, spinning back in from off. Yasim Murtaza leans forward and taps it with soft hands to mid on. Halfway into the chase, Hong Kong, China are 43/5. 

DRINKS! Hong Kong, China, have lost half their side now and are reeling at 43/5 in the 10th over. A win from here looks like a distant dream, but even if they want to get closer to the total, Babar Hayat is their biggest hope. They need to build a partnership and at least try to reduce the margin of defeat as much as possible. Afghanistan are just proving to be too good with the ball, and with the quality of spin that they have, they will be hoping to wrap things up as quickly as possible to help their NRR as well, which could come into play later in the tournament. Also, skipper, Yasim Murtaza comes out to the middle now.

Noor Ahmad to Kinchit Shah, OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! Karim Janat redeems himself with a screamer of a catch! Quicker leg break on middle, and the length is a bit fullish. In fact, this is a googly, and he pulls the length by a yard or so, forcing the batter to reach for it. Kinchit Shah takes a huge stride forward and tries to sweep it. Goes through the shot, playing it aerially, to the right of deep fine leg. Gets neither the elevation nor the required distance. Karim Janat from deep fine leg runs across to his right, flings himself towards the ball and plucks a fantastic diving catch. Slides on the ground but sustains the ball in his hands. Kinchit Shah departs on 6 (10) and Hong Kong, China are 43/5 down now, needong 146 runs off 61 balls.

Noor Ahmad to Kinchit Shah, Flights it wide outside off, full in length. Kinchit Shah lofts it inside out over cover. Sediqullah Atal from long off runs across to his right and cuts it off with a slide. Two taken.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Babar steps out again, but Noor does well to drop it on a length and relatively quicker, at the stumps. The ball catches the outside edge and rolls on the off side, as Hayat looks to turn it away on the leg side. A single is taken.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Bowls it quicker this time around, on a length over off, Babar knocks it down the deck.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Bowls it quicker and pushes it across the batter, on off, a tad shorter, Babar steps out to block it out.

Rashid Khan to Babar Hayat, Drag-downer, on middle. Babar Hayat stabs it down to long on for a single. 10 runs off Rashid's second over. His figures read 2-0-15-0. Hong Kong, China need 149 runs from 66 balls!

Rashid Khan to Kinchit Shah, Fuller delivery, spinning in from middle. Kinchit Shah mistimes the sweep shot to the vacant square leg region for a single.

Rashid Khan to Babar Hayat, Spotting Babar advancing down the track, Rashid darts it on the leg stump line. Babar Hayat heaves it across to deep square leg for a single.

Rashid Khan to Babar Hayat, Drags his length back, after seeing the batter step down the track. Babar pushes it back towards the bowler in the end.

Rashid Khan to Babar Hayat, SIX! MASSIVE! Khan drops it on a yard behind full and just around off, Kinchit Shah puts on his dancing shoes to reach towards the pitch of the delivery and smashes it high over the long on fence for a biggie.

Rashid Khan to Kinchit Shah, Quicker and flatter at the stumps, Kinchit Shah presses back to pull it across on the leg side for a run.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Slides it on the middle stump, fullish in length. Babar Hayat lunges forward and eases it back to the bowler. Excellent start for Noor Ahmad. Just 2 off his first over. 7 from the last two overs for Hong Kong, China as they need 159 off 72!

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Pitched outside leg, and very full. Babar Hayat misses to sweep and is struck on the front pad.

Noor Ahmad to Kinchit Shah, Quick and flat, just outside off. Kinchit Shah waits back and cuts it to deep point for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Bowls it closer at the batter, on the fuller side, Babar Hayat prods forward to stroke it down to long off for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, On the shorter side and wide outside off, Babar Hayat reaches out for it and finds backward point.

Noor Ahmad to Babar Hayat, Lands it fuller and outside off, Babar Hayat lunges forward to drive it straight to short covers.