Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan admitted that his side still has work to do at the top of the order despite cruising to a 94-run victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2025 opener at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan piled up 188/6 on the back of half-centuries from opener Sediqullah Atal and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. But the start was far from ideal – Afghanistan slipped to 26/2 in just four overs, continuing a worrying trend of losing early wickets.
Speaking after the match, Rashid didn’t shy away from pointing out the issue.
“Was a great game. Good to put total on the board. Wickets early on is the key for us. We had the same issue in the last series. That’s one area we need to improve,” Rashid said at the post-match presentation.
“Batting in the death overs was a great effort. Specially, Omarzai,” he added.
While the batters made amends later in the innings, it was Afghanistan’s bowling attack that completely shut out Hong Kong. Defending 189, Rashid’s spinners and pacers combined to restrict Hong Kong to 94/9 in 20 overs, sealing a thumping win to kick off their Asia Cup campaign.
“Having spinners in the side always puts pressure on the opposition,” Rashid explained. “When you have runs on the board, batters are forced to take risks and that gives us chances to pick wickets. We will also look to improve our record while chasing.”
A Tough Call on Mujeeb
One of the bigger talking points before the toss was the absence of Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Afghanistan’s seasoned spinner. Rashid acknowledged that leaving him out was not an easy decision.
“Tough ask to see what is the playing XI. To keep Mujeeb out, it was a tough call. Sometimes you look for combinations. The good thing is I have options and that makes it easier for me,” Rashid said.
Afghanistan next face Bangladesh in their second group-stage clash, where fans will be eager to see if Rashid and his men can replicate their dominant display – but perhaps with a steadier start at the top of the order.
