Afghanistan’s cricket team commenced their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in impressive fashion, defeating Hong Kong by a substantial margin of 94 runs. The Afghan batsmen showcased exceptional batting prowess throughout the match, a stark contrast to their performance in the preceding tri-series final where they were bowled out for a mere 66 runs. This earlier batting collapse had drawn criticism from Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who questioned the team’s batting capabilities. However, Afghanistan’s commanding performance against Hong Kong effectively refuted Pathan’s concerns. Sediquallah Atal, who has achieved the feat of hitting seven sixes in a single over, particularly impressed Irfan Pathan.
