Asia Cup 2025 : Rahmanullah Gurbaz falls to Ayush Shukla right after hitting him for a huge six

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Afghanistan kicked off their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Hong Kong in the Group B opener at Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi on September 9 with Rashid Khan‘s men electing to bat first after winning the toss. The tournament opener marked Afghanistan’s return to continental competition following their impressive T20 World Cup semi-final run in 2024.

The match witnessed a dramatic moment in the second over when Rahmanullah Gurbaz showcased his trademark power-hitting by launching Ayush Shukla for a massive six. However the explosive opener’s innings was short-lived as he fell immediately after attempting another big shot. Gurbaz who had looked in ominous form after smashing the six tried to repeat the dose but this time got no timing on the ball. The attempted lofted shot went straight up and Nizakat Khan running back from mid-off made no mistake in completing the catch to give Hong Kong their first breakthrough.

The dismissal came off the second ball of the third over with Afghanistan at 25/1 after Gurbaz had managed just 8 runs from 5 balls including that solitary six. Shukla was pumped after claiming the prized scalp with the hard length delivery outside off moving away slightly and the surface showing some hold which troubled the Afghan opener who had charged down the track. The wicket continued Gurbaz’s torrid recent form in the UAE following his struggles in the recently concluded tri-series against Pakistan where Afghanistan were bundled out for just 66 in the final.

6️⃣ & OUT! ☝️Hong Kong strike courtesy Ayush, Gurbaz departs 💥

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After the early hiccup Afghanistan regrouped smartly led by Sediqullah Atal’s unbeaten 73 off 52 balls. Atal’s patient innings anchored the middle overs before a late onslaught by Azmatullah Omarzai (53 off 21) ramped the scoring rate. Mohammad Nabi contributed a fluent 33 off 26, guiding the innings through a tricky period. Extras (10) proved costly for Hong Kong, and Rashid Khan’s cameo at the death pushed Afghanistan to a challenging 188/6 in their allotted 20 overs. With Hong Kong’s bowlers sharing wickets evenly, Afghanistan’s balanced batting display and late hitting set a stern target in Abu Dhabi’s first Group B encounter.

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