Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh beat Hong Kong by 7 wickets

Abu Dhabi (Web Desk): Bangladesh kicked off their Asia Cup 2025 journey with a convincing seven-wicket win against Hong Kong in the third match of the competition at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Chasing a manageable target of 144, the Tigers crossed the finish line with ease, losing only three wickets and completing the job with 14 balls left. Captain Litton Das was the star performer with the bat, striking a fluent 59 from 39 balls, laced with six boundaries and a six.

Towhid Hridoy provided steady support, remaining not out on 35 from 36 deliveries. Together, the pair stitched a decisive 95-run partnership for the third wicket, which ended when Das was dismissed at the start of the 18th over, leaving Bangladesh on the brink of victory with only two runs required.

Among Hong Kong’s bowlers, Ateeq Iqbal impressed with figures of 2 for 14 in 3.4 overs, while Ayush Shukla managed to claim a wicket.

Earlier, Das’s decision to put Hong Kong in to bat proved fruitful as the Bangladesh bowling attack restricted them to 143 for 7.

Taskin Ahmed provided the early breakthrough by removing Anshy Rath for four in the second over with the score at just seven. The pressure mounted further when Tanzim Hasan Sakib cleaned up Babar Hayat for 14, leaving Hong Kong reeling at 30 for 2 within the powerplay.

A brief recovery came through opener Zeeshan Ali and Nizakat Khan, who added 41 runs for the third wicket.

Their stand ended when Sakib struck again to dismiss Ali, who made 30 from 34 balls, including three fours and a six. Nizakat then built another promising partnership, this time with captain Yasim Murtaza, contributing 46 runs for the fourth wicket.

Murtaza played the more aggressive role, scoring 28 off 19 deliveries with two sixes and two fours, but his innings ended abruptly after a run out.

Nizakat top-scored for his side with a patient 42 off 40 balls, featuring two boundaries and a six, before falling to Taskin in the 19th over. Hong Kong then lost two more wickets and could only manage nine additional runs before the innings closed.

Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the spoils evenly, with Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Rishad Hossain all picking up two wickets each to set up an easy chase for their side.