Asia Cup 2022: Pakistan bundle out Hong Kong for 38, seal Super 4 berth with 155-run win

Pakistan thumped Hong Kong by 155 runs in the sixth match of the Asia Cup 2022 on Friday, September 2, to confirm their spot in the Super 4. It was Pakistan’s biggest T20I win in terms of runs and Hong Kong’s lowest total in the format.

Sent into bat after losing the toss, Pakistan’s batting line-up overcame a slow start to post an imposing 193 for two on the board. In reply, Hong Kong crumbled under pressure, folding up for just 38 in 10.4 overs.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan (4/8), left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (3/5) and fast bowler Naseem Shah (2/7) proved way too good for an inexperienced Hong Kong batting line-up.

Pakistan pacer Shah struck twice in the third over, sending back Nizakat Khan (eight) and Babar Hayat (0). The former toe-ended a drive and was caught, while the latter was beaten for pace and cleaned up as he attempted a slog.

The wickets kept crumbling after that as Yasim Murtaza (two) miscued a pull off Shahnawaz Dahani towards mid-on. Aizaz Khan (one) misread a googly from Shadab and was bowled.

Left-arm spinner Nawaz struck twice in the eighth over to reduce Hong Kong to 31 for six. Kinchit Shah (six) was trapped lbw as he missed his slog sweep, while Scott McKechnie (four) was bowled as he missed his sweep.

Shadab had a second when Haroon Arshad (three) also failed to read his wrong'un and was castled. Nawaz picked up his third wicket as Zeeshan Ali (three) attempted a big hit, but only managed to give a catch to long-on.

A slog from Ayush Shukla (one), immediately after the drinks break, put Shadab on a hat-trick. The batter was bowled as he attempted a wild slog. While the leg-spinner could not claim a hat-trick, he bowled his team to victory in the same over, trapping Mohammad Ghazanfar lbw before for a duck.

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Muhammad Rizwan’s 78*, Khushdil Shah cameo lift Pakistan to 193 for 2

Pakistan opener Muhammad Rizwan top-scored with 78* of 57 balls as his team posted an impressive 193 for two in their 20 overs. Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman (53 off 41) added 116 for the second wicket. Khushdil Shah (35* off 15) then did an excellent job at the death as the batting side crossed the 190-run mark.

Sent into bat after losing the toss, Pakistan got off to a poor start as their skipper Babar Azam perished for nine, offering a return catch to Ehsan Khan. Rizwan and Zaman found a few boundaries, but Hong Kong did well to keep Pakistan to 64 for one at the halfway stage of the innings.

Rizwan took 42 balls for his fifty, getting there at the start of the 14th over with a single off Murtaza. Zaman got some much-needed acceleration into the innings, sweeping Ghazanfar for a maximum. In the next over, he smacked Murtaza for a four wide of long-off and a huge six over deep midwicket. The latter stroke also brought up his half-century.

The century stand ended when Ehsan had Zaman caught at backward point. If Hong Kong thought they would get some respite, they were wrong. Khushdil clobbered Aizaz for four maximums in the last over, which went for a whopping 29 runs.

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PAK vs HKG 2022: Who was Player of the Match in Pakistan vs Hong Kong T20I?

Rizwan anchored Pakistan’s innings with an unbeaten 78, while Zaman scored a handy 53. Khushdil played a brilliant cameo at the death, clobbering five sixes. On the bowling front, spinners Shadab and Nawaz ran through Hong Kong without trouble.

Ehsan’s 2/28 was the only performance of note for Hong Kong in the match.

Rizwan was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten half-century.