Asia Cup: Afghanistan kickstart campaign with 94-run win over Hong Kong

Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 10 (ANI): Afghanistan started disconnected their Asia Cup run with a monolithic triumph by 94 runs implicit Hong Kong successful their Group B clash astatine Abu Dhabi connected Tuesday.

Half-centurions Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai, the second producing the fastest T20I half-century for Afghanistan successful T20I cricket, were the stars with the bat, producing carnage successful last fewer overs for Afghanistan. Also, Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi took 2 wickets each for Afghanistan.

In the tally pursuit of 189, Hong Kong was reduced to 22/4 successful 4.3 overs, with Afghanistan pacers each implicit their opponents.

Babar Hayat took the task of reviving the pursuit with Kinchit Shah, ending the powerplay astatine 23/4. However, his attempts did not enactment overmuch arsenic Kinchit was removed for a 10-ball six by Noor Ahmed, caught by Karim Janat astatine heavy backwards quadrate leg. Afghanistan was 43/5 successful 9.5 overs.

A monolithic six implicit heavy mid-wicket by Hayat helped Hong Kong scope the 50-run people successful 11.2 overs, portion helium got different six against Karim successful that over, but helium succumbed to Gulbadin Naib successful the adjacent implicit for a 43-ball 39, with 3 sixes. Afghanistan reduced Hong Kong to 63/6.

It kept getting worse for Hong Kong, arsenic skipper Rashid Khan got Aizaz Khan arsenic his archetypal wicket for a 10-ball six, caught by Mohammed Nabi astatine long-on, portion attempting a reverse-sweep. Hong Kong was 78/7 successful 16.2 overs.

In the 19th over, Gulbadin picked his 2nd wicket, removing Yasim Murtaza for a 26-ball 16, reducing Hong Kong to 91/8.

Hong Kong's struggle-filled innings ended astatine 94/9 successful their 20 overs, with Ayush Shukla and Ateeq Iqbal unbeaten astatine 1 each. Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/16) got his 2nd wicket successful the last over.

Naib (2/8) was fantastic for Afghanistan successful his three-over spell, portion Rashid, Noor and Omarzai got a wicket each.

Earlier, erstwhile satellite fig 1 all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai shattered the grounds for the fastest 50 successful T20Is for Afghanistan aft his whirlwind sound astatine Sheikh Zayed Stadium successful the Asia Cup opener connected Tuesday.

After opting to bat, Afghanistan were near threadbare astatine 110/4, courtesy of Hong Kong's spirited bowling show with 5 overs left. With Afghanistan, successful dire request of immoderate firepower, Omarzai stepped connected the crease and changed the complexion of the crippled successful a flick. He flaunted his boundary-hitting nervus and near the Hong Kong squad gobsmacked by unleashing a barrage of boundaries. He celebrated his maiden T20I 50 for Afghanistan successful conscionable 20 deliveries, the fastest for his broadside successful the format. He bettered Mohammad Nabi's 21-ball effort against Ireland successful 2017.

Omarzai offered nary clemency to Ayush Shukla successful the 19th implicit and dispatched the archetypal ball, bereft of pace, successful beforehand of the sightscreen for a maximum. On the adjacent ball, helium smoked the shot implicit heavy other cover. For the 3rd delivery, helium took his clip earlier depositing the shot into the mid-wicket fence.

On the fourth, helium cleverly opened the look of his bat and steered the afloat flip to the 3rd antheral to implicit his half-century. His fruitful exploits yet ended aft helium ballooned the shot precocious successful the aerial and landed successful Aizaz Khan's hands, forcing him to instrumentality connected 53 (off 21 balls, with 2 fours and 5 sixes).

Omarzai had done the irreparable harm arsenic Afghanistan garnered 78 runs from the past 5 overs to hammer 188/6 connected the board. Afghanistan's belligerent innings was fuelled by Hong Kong's shambolic show connected the field. They dropped 5 catches, the astir successful a squad innings successful the T20 Asia Cup.

Opener Sediqullah Atal, who returned unbeaten with 73 (off 52 balls, with six fours and 3 sixes), was dropped thrice, with the archetypal lawsuit occurring successful the opening implicit itself. Mohammed Nabi (33 successful 26 balls, with 3 fours and a six) struck a 51-run basal for the 3rd wicket with Atal.

The dropped chances and wayward bowling towards the extremity allowed Afghanistan to publication a comeback successful the contention and station a competitory total.

Kinchit Shah (2/24) and Ayush (2/54) were among the apical bowlers for Hong Kong wickets-wise.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 188/6 (Sediqullah Atal 73*, Azmatullah Omarzai 53, Kinchit Shah 2/24) bushed Hong Kong: 94/9 (Babar Hayat 39, Yasim Murtaza 16, Gulbadin Naib 2/8). (ANI)