Hong Kong fought hard in their second game in the Asia Cup 2025 against Bangladesh, as they scored 143/7 in 20 overs. Their captain Yasim Murtaza played a strong innings, where the left-handed batter smashed two strong sixes. 

Bangladesh captain Litton Das chose to field first in their tournament opener on Thursday (September 11) night at Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong had a rough start this match, while they scored 94/9 in 20 overs against Afghanistan in the tournament opener after their opponents scored 188/6 in 20 overs. 

Bangladesh vs Hong Kong: Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza stuns with his batting performance

Against Bangladesh, three Hong Kong batters managed to cross the 20-run mark. While the opener Zeeshan Ali scored 30 off 34 balls (three fours and one six), Nizakat Khan scored 42 off 40 balls (two fours and one six), and skipper Yasim Murtaza scored 28 runs off 19 balls with two fours and two sixes.

Coming to bat at no.5, Murtaza had a 46-run partnership with Nizakat for the fourth wicket before an unfortunate run out due to a terrible mix-up ended his strong innings. Before his dismissal, Murtaza entertained with his fine batting performance.

[WATCH] Tanzim Hasan Sakib celebrates fiercely during Bangladesh vs Hong Kong Match 3

Murtaza hit first six to Tanzim

Murtaza hit his first six of the match to Bangladesh pacer Tanzid Hasan Sakib, who was in good rhythm as most Hong Kong batters were struggling to handle him. It was a back-of-the-length fast delivery on leg in the 14th over of the innings, which Murtaza perfectly timed to secure a giant six over the backward short leg boundary. 

Murtaza hit second six to Mahedi

In the next over, Murtaza again smashed a sixer to the Bangladesh spinner Mahedi Hasan. After stepping down, the left-handed batter smashed the ball over the long on for another crucial six. While Hong Kong managed to hit five sixes in the innings, their skipper smashed it twice. 

సూపర్ షాట్స్‌తో అలరిస్తున్న 🇭🇰 కెప్టెన్ Yasim Murtaza 🥳

చూడండి #BANvHKC లైవ్
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The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to get underway on September 9 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in the opening Group B clash. Afghanistan enter the tournament after a narrow defeat to Pakistan in the UAE Tri-Series final but showed plenty of positives during the competition. Under Rashid Khan’s leadership, the team will look to bounce back strongly, banking on the batting firepower of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, along with the experience of Mohammad Nabi, to begin their campaign confidently.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, return to international action after their recent participation in the Asia Pacific Cricket Championship Trophy 2025, where they finished as runners-up to Malaysia. Though considered underdogs in this competition, the team will be eager to showcase their potential on the continental stage. With limited exposure against top-ranked sides, Hong Kong will aim to put their best foot forward, test Afghanistan’s depth, and create a memorable impact in the Asia Cup.

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Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Match 1: Live Streaming Details

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Match 1: Probable Playing XI

Afghanistan (Probable Playing XI):

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hong Kong (Probable Playing XI):

Yasim Murtaza (c), Anshy Rath, Martin Coetzee, Kinchit Shah, Shahid Wasif, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Ali Hassan, Ehsan Khan