In the opening match of the Asia Cup, the Hong Kong captain won the toss and elected to bowl first. Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 188/6 in 20 overs, thanks to a brilliant rescue act from Azmatullah Omarzai and Sediqullah Atal. Afghanistan got off to an aggressive start with openers Sediqullah Atal and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but their partnership was short-lived. After adding 25 runs in just 14 balls, Gurbaz was dismissed by Ayush Shukla for 8 runs. In the very next over, Ibrahim Zardan fell cheaply, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 26/2.

The experienced Mohmmad Nabi joined Atal, and the duo steadied the innings with a crucial 51-run stand. However, Nabi was dismissed by KD Shah after scoring 33 runs, triggering another collapse. Afghanistan slipped further as their two wickets fell in quick succession, and the scoring rate slowed.
Amidst the chaos, Atal held firm, playing a mature knock of 73 runs off 52 balls not out, anchoring one end. The game turned when Azmatullah Omarzai walked in and completely shifted the momentum. Playing fearlessly 53 off just 21 balls, including 2 fours and 5 sixes, adding a match-changing 82 run partnership with Atal in just 41 balls. His explosive hitting not only rescued Afghanistan from trouble but also powered them to a strong total.
Hong Kong's bowler had their moments early on as they picked two early wickets, but after the 12th over, they went clueless. Ayush Shukla and KD Shah picked up two wickets each, and Ateeq Iqbal and Ehsan Khan chipped in with one wicket each.

As the match heads into the second innings, the question remains: can Hong Kong chase down 189 and pull off a stunning win, or will Afghanistan's bowlers steal the game? Afghanistan has the upper hand, but still the match can't end before the last ball is bowled.