Afghanistan commenced their Asia Cup 2025 journey with a resounding 94-run triumph against Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. This victory underscored their standing as a formidable contender in the tournament. Despite the perceived imbalance on paper, Afghanistan utilized the match effectively as a warm-up, securing two points and bolstering their confidence. Following the match, Afghan skipper Rashid Khan shared his thoughts on the win, praising his team’s performance. He emphasized the significance of putting runs on the board and addressed the need to improve their early-wicket situation, a key focus area. Khan also highlighted the importance of upcoming games. He acknowledged his satisfaction with the middle order’s performance, particularly Azmatullah’s innings. Khan explained that the presence of quality spinners adds pressure, especially when runs are on the board, allowing for more effective bowling. He also spoke about the difficulty in selecting the playing eleven due to the many bowling options, even mentioning the tough decision of leaving out Mujeeb and Noor in some games. Finally, Khan humorously admitted to forgetting to bowl his own two overs initially and explained the team’s strategy of assessing matchups to optimize their bowling choices.
