Asia Cup: Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan pleased with victory over Hong Kong but concerned about one area

Dubai [UAE], September 10 (ANI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan was pleased astir the mode successful which his broadside coasted to an emphatic 94-run triumph with consummate easiness successful the Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong astatine Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

It wasn't a locomotion successful the parkland arsenic the scoreline suggested, with Rashid underlining however losing aboriginal wickets remains a motion of interest for Afghanistan, and figuring retired the squad combination, which includes dropping his apical stars similar Mujeeb Ur Rahman, remains a 'tough call'.

Afghanistan wilted astatine 110/4 aft 15 overs, portion the visage of Hong Kong players suggested that they were cock-a-hoop with their performance. But the past mistakes returned to haunt Hong Kong with Sediqullah Atal, who was dropped thrice successful the archetypal innings, bludgeoned 25 runs disconnected Ateeq Iqbal successful the 17th over.

Azmatullah Omarzai brought thunder down the crushed and tonked 3 towering maximums connected the trot to bring up his maiden T20I 50 successful the 19th. Before losing his wicket, Omarzai ensured that Afghanistan garnered 24 runs from the penultimate implicit disconnected Ayush Shukla. Afghanistan blazed its mode to a daunting 188/6, courtesy of a staggering 78 runs from the past 5 overs.

'It was a large game. Good to enactment the full connected the board. In the past bid arsenic well, (losing) aboriginal wickets - that is precise cardinal for america and we person to look into it. That's 1 country we request to improve. Batting successful the decease overs was a large effort. Especially Omarzai. We person bully spinners,' Rashid said successful the post-match presentation.

'It puts unit connected the opposition. When you enactment runs connected the board, batters volition instrumentality risks, and we person a accidental to prime wickets. We volition effort to person a bully grounds portion chasing arsenic well. Tough inquire to spot what is the playing XI. To support Mujeeb out, it was a pugnacious call. You sometimes look for combinations. The bully happening is I person options, and that makes it easier for me,' Rashid concluded.

Omarzai brought up his half-century successful conscionable 20 deliveries, the fastest for Afghanistan successful the T20Is. At the end, it was Shukla who had the past laughter aft Omarzai ballooned the shot precocious successful the aerial and landed successful Aizaz Khan's hands, forcing him to instrumentality connected 53(21).

His fruitful outing continued with the shot aft helium scythed Zeeshan Ali's wicket and returned with economical figures of 1/4 aft his two-over spell. For the erstwhile fig 1 ODI all-rounder, the defining infinitesimal of the crippled that came from his bat was a effect of the content entrusted successful him by skipper Rashid and manager Jonathan Trott.

'Very pugnacious batting successful the little order. It is each astir belief. The skipper and manager person a content successful me. Was trying to deed it straight. We mislaid aboriginal wickets. I was speaking to Atal that we volition spell for boundaries aft the 16th over. When I get the ball, I consciousness americium a due bowler. When I get to bat, I consciousness I americium a due batter (smiles),' Omarzai, who was crowned Player of the Match, said during the presentation.

Hong Kong skipper Yasim Murtaza didn't shy distant from admitting that Afghanistan's full took him by surprise, particularly erstwhile helium was expecting 150. Despite ending up connected the incorrect broadside of the result, Murtaza enjoyed each infinitesimal of the fixture and dwelled connected the positives.

'Feels similar a imagination travel true. We cognize the Asia Cup is 1 of the bigger tournaments successful Asia, truthful we were truly excited for that. I was not expecting that full connected the board. At 1 stage, I was reasoning they would get 150. Credit goes to their batters, particularly Omarzai, getting 50 disconnected 20 balls - that is simply a game-changer. The affirmative things for america were Babar with the bat and our spinners bowled well. Once we spell backmost from here, astatine slightest we person thing to enactment on,' Murtaza said. (ANI)