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

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, Miles outside off, full in length. Sediqullah Atal leans forward, reaches for it and drives through cover for a couple of runs.

Kinchit Shah to Azmatullah Omarzai, On the shorter side over off, relatively quicker, Azmatullah Omarzai backs away and slaps it past the bowler down towards long off for a run.

Kinchit Shah to Azmatullah Omarzai, Dragged down length and outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai presses back and cuts it behind square on the off side for a couple of more runs. The sweeper cover fielder now runs to his left to collect the ball.

Kinchit Shah to Azmatullah Omarzai, Spears it fuller and outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai leans forward to drive it past covers to the right of sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

Yasim Murtaza to Azmatullah Omarzai, On middle and leg, knocked across to deep mid-wicket for a single. Just 6 singles off the over.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, DROPPED! Almost a chance! Yasim Murtaza bowls a top-spin, around off, spinning in from a length. The ball kicks up a bit and takes Atal aback. Sediqullah Atal is neither on the back foot, nor does he commit on the front foot. Just gets stuck in the crease and chips it over the bowler. Yasim Murtaza leaps on the left shoulder, stretches his left hand up, and even gets fingertips on the ball, but it deflects and runs behind, to the left of mid off. They cross. 100 UP FOR AFGHANISTAN!

Yasim Murtaza to Azmatullah Omarzai, Drifting onto the pads, on a length, Azmatullah Omarzai hangs back and tucks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Quicker one, fuller and around the pads, Sediqullah Atal tucks it away through mid-wicket for a run.

Yasim Murtaza to Azmatullah Omarzai, Fuller and just outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai drops it in front of backward point with soft hands and scrampers to the other end.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Floated, full and around off, turns into the batter, Atal goes towards the pitch of the delivery and turns it through mid-wicket for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai walks out to bat now.

Kinchit Shah to Gulbadin Naib, OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND TAKEN! Excellent spin bowling from Hong Kong, China. Kinchit Shah gets his second wicket and this is a huge one in the game's context! Kinchit dishes out a fuller delivery, from around-the-wicket angle. Lands it around off, sliding across the batter, but very slow through the air. Gulbadin Naib gets lured in the flight, does not get to the pitch of the ball and tries to tonk it over the bowler. Gets deceived by the lack of pace, and only manages to slice it over mid off. Yasim Murtaza from mid off, moves to his right and takes an easy catch. Gulbadin Naib departs for 5 (8) and Afghanistan are 95/4.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, Far from off, full in length. Sediqullah Atal extends his arms and drives it through wide mid off for a single.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, SIX! PUNISHED! Shah bowls a quicker delivery, at 94 kph, on a length, around off. Sediqullah Atal reads the length quickly, rocks back and pulls it behind deep mid-wicket for a cracking six. Moves to 40s, does Sediqullah Atal!

Kinchit Shah to Gulbadin Naib, On the shorter side and around off, Naib goes back and strokes it down to long on for a single.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, IN THE AIR... LANDS SAFE. Bowls it slower again and gives the flight. Atal jumps down the track and mistimes it aerially towards long off, where the fielder collects it on a bounce. One run taken.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, Loopy delivery, full and outside off, Atal steps out to go big but ekes out an inside edge back onto his pads.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Tosses it up, full and just outside off, Atal caresses it through cover for a single.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Slower through the air, full and on off, Atal walks forward and looks to drive it on the leg side, but gets a leading edge towards backward point. Sniffs a single, but is sent back by Naib on a sharp call.

Yasim Murtaza to Gulbadin Naib, Looped up, on a length, on off. Gulbadin Naib hangs deep in the crease and nudges it to deep square leg for an easy single.

Yasim Murtaza to Gulbadin Naib, A touch shorter and just outside off, Naib chops it towards backward point for no run.

Yasim Murtaza to Gulbadin Naib, Tossed up, right at the middle, Gulbadin Naib lunges forward to defend it out.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Bowls it quicker and flatter over off, Atal taps it down the deck on the leg side and takes a quick eun

Kinchit Shah to Gulbadin Naib, Fuller delivery, just around middle and leg, Gulbadin Naib pushes it to the right of the bowler.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, Good length, on middle and leg, nudged into the leg side for a single.

Is that a run out? Sediqullah Atal is again the man in question here. A direct hit has been scored from the deep, and it looked close to the naked eye. However, the replay shows that Atal has just dragged his bat in time. He survives there.

Kinchit Shah to Sediqullah Atal, DIRECT HIT, BUT SAFE! Pretty casual running this. Fuller delivery, around off, turning away off the pitch. Sediqullah drives it along the ground and with the spin to deep cover and calls his partner through for the second run. The fielder mops it up in the deep, and releases the throw toward the batter's end and scores a direct hit. The side-on replay shows that Atal is just in time, dragging the bat in, before the sticks are hit.

Kinchit Shah to Gulbadin Naib, Around the stumps, the length is dragged back, on the leg stump line. Gulbadin Naib works it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Kinchit Shah to Gulbadin Naib, Floated full and on the stumps, Naib leans forward and flicks it through the vacant mid-wicket region for a couple of runs.

Gulbadin Naib is the next man in.

Kinchit Shah to Mohammad Nabi, OUT! CAUGHT! Kinchit Shah strikes off his first delivery! He pushes it quicker across the air, bowls it on a nagging length and outside off. Mohammad Nabi backs away and swings through to clear the long off fielder. But fails to get the desired connection on that, as he holes out to an easy catch for Nizakat Khan at long off, who comes forward a bit to grab it. Mohammad Nabi walks back after scoring 33 (26), and the budding 51-run stand has been broken now.

DRINKS. Quite a sweaty first half of the first inning, to say the least. It is still really warm out there. From Hong Kong, China's perspective, they have not let the Afghans run away with the score and have kept things decently quiet. Bowling stump-to-stump has prevented the batters from playing freely. And from Afghanistan's point of view, after losing two big wickets inside the Powerplay, they have steadied the ship convincingly. Mohammad Nabi and Sediqullah Atal have respected the conditions and haven't tried anything risky as yet, and have constructed a solid partnership for the third wicket. Either one of these two will need to bat till the end for a big score on the board. The wicket seems slowish in nature, but with the ball softening up, batting has appeared to be a bit breathable. Hong Kong, China will need to break this blossoming partnership ASAP. A bowling change after the hydration break. Kinchit Shah is into the attack.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Slower through the air, full and on off, Sediqullah Atal only manages to knock it the right of the bowler.

Is that a run out? A sharp, flat throw to the keeper from point, and Zeeshan Ali whips the bails off in a flash. However, the side-on replay shows that Sediqullah Atal has comfortably dragged his bat inside the crease. 

Yasim Murtaza to Mohammad Nabi, NOT OUT! Much better effort in the field from Hong Kong, China! Floated, full and on off, Mohammad Nabi pushes it wide of extra covers and sets off for the run, his partner responds too. However, the fielder makes a fine one-handed stop diving to his right, and the batters hesitate a bit, seeing that. The fielder throws it at the keeper's end, but it is just a bit wide, as Zeeshan Ali collects and breaks the stumps. The throw is wide enough for Atal to drag his bat inside the crease. The replay confirms the same!

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Tossed up, full and on off, Sediqullah Atal eases it to long on for another run. That also brings up the 50-RUN STAND between these two batters.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, WIDE! Goes quicker, short but way outside off, Sediqullah Atal fails to cut it away. Called a wide.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, Nicely bowled! Tosses it up at the stumps, slower through the air, Atal looks to turn that across, but gets a leading edge all along back towards the bowler.

Yasim Murtaza to Mohammad Nabi, A bit fuller and straighter at the stumps, Nabi backs away on the leg side and cuts it firmly towards deep point for a single.

Yasim Murtaza to Sediqullah Atal, On the shorter side and around off, Sediqullah Atal gets back and chops it to deep point for a run.

Hong Kong, China skipper, Yasim Murtaza, introduces himself to the attack. He replaces Ehsan Khan.

This partnership has taken a good shape for Afghanistan. Both Nabi and Atal have played the conditions well so far.

Aizaz Khan to Mohammad Nabi, Half a chance! On a length and on off, Mohammad Nabi looks to push it away but gets an outside edge towards short third. Nabi sets off for the run but is sent back, and he hesitates a bit. The fielder picks up but misses his shy at the batter's end, with Nabi putting in a desperate dive.

Aizaz Khan to Mohammad Nabi, WIDE! Short of a length and well outside off, shapes further away, Mohammad Nabi throws his bat at it but fails to connect. Wided.

Aizaz Khan to Mohammad Nabi, FOUR! Nicely done! Good length and just on off, Mohammad Nabi lets it come to him and uses the pace on the ball to steer it wide of short third. The fielder dives to his right to stop it with one hand, but lets it through for a boundary. They need to do better in the field.

Aizaz Khan to Sediqullah Atal, Pitched up and around off, Sediqullah Atal drives it through covers for a run.

Aizaz Khan to Sediqullah Atal, Keeps it on a good length outside off and gets the ball to shape away a bit off the deck. Atal looks to push it away on the off side, but gets beaten on the outside edge comprehensively.

Aizaz Khan to Mohammad Nabi, Goes fuller on middle this time, Nabi strokes it down to long off for a single.

Aizaz Khan to Mohammad Nabi, FOUR! Authoritative from Mr. President! Bowls the shorter length and gives too much width outside off. Mohammad Nabi hangs back to slap it over cover for a boundary.

Ehsan Khan to Mohammad Nabi, Dragged down and on off, Mohammad Nabi stays back and stabs it out through extra covers for one. Another quiet over from Ehsan Khan!