Pakistan whipped Hong Kong by a humongous margin of 155 runs at the Asia Cup 2022 on Friday (September 2) to book their spot in the next stage of the tournament.
Pakistan's flamboyant bowling unit blew away Hong Kong batters with pace and ripped them apart with spin to secure their victory in this edition's Asia Cup.
After being asked to bat first, the Men in Green amassed a massive 193 runs for the loss of two wickets in their 20 overs. Mohammad Rizwan (78*) and Fakhar Zaman (53) scored heavily at the top before Khushdil Shah (35*) chipped in with a blistering cameo.
In the second innings, a bowling masterclass from Pakistan ensured that Hong Kong were dismissed for a meager 38 runs, giving the Men in Green a win by a margin of 155 runs. Shadab Khan was the best bowler on display, with four scalps to his name.
The lopsided game saw several records shatter. Tellingly, with their handsome win, the Babar Azam-led unit became the first team in T20I cricket to win a game by 150+ runs without recording a 200+ total on the board.
On that note, let's take a look at three other records that were broken during Pakistan's exciting win over Hong Kong.
#3 Joint-most unbeaten 75+ scores in T20s
Pakistani opener Mohammad Rizwan had a terrific game against Hong Kong, scoring a well-made 78* from 57 balls. He held one end together and carried his bat through the innings.
Interestingly, it was Rizwan's seventh instance in T20Is where he remained unbeaten with a score of more than 75, joining Virat Kohli in the list, who also has seven such innings where he remained unbeaten at 75+ scores.
#2 Lowest total in Asia Cup history
Hong Kong slumped to the lowest ever team total in the history of the Asia Cup across formats as they were bundled out for a paltry 38 in the group stage fixture against Pakistan. Prior to the game, no team in the Asia Cup had ever registered a score of less than 50.
Furthermore, Hong Kong's 38 is now the lowest team total against Pakistan in T20Is as well as the lowest T20I score in the UAE.
#1 Second biggest margin of a T20I win by runs (among full members)
Pakistan's staggering triumph of 155 runs placed their name in the history books as their win was the second-biggest victory in T20Is by a full member, overtaking India's 143-run win over Ireland in 2018.
Sri Lanka hold the record for biggest T20I win (by runs) among full members when they thrashed minnows Kenya by 172 runs at the T20 World Cup 2007 in Johannesburg.
Coincidentally, the 155-run win is Pakistan's best-ever win against any opponent in T20Is.
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