Bangladesh started their Asia Cup campaign in style with a commanding seven-wicket win, built on calm, professional batting rather than reckless aggression in a modest chase.
At the toss, when Russell Arnold called it a “warm-up game,” Liton Kumar Das immediately objected. The Bangladesh captain replied that every match in a tournament like this carries importance for them. His team’s batting approach reflected exactly that mindset. Neither Liton nor Towhid Hridoy rushed into aggressive shots; instead, they relied on control and smart rotation of strike. That composure led Bangladesh to a comfortable victory.
Bangladesh defeated Hong Kong by seven wickets in Abu Dhabi to open their Asia Cup journey.
At the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday, Hong Kong posted 143 runs in 20 overs—a notable improvement considering they were bundled out for just 94 in their previous match against Afghanistan.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Rishad Hossain all picked up two wickets each. But the standout bowler was undoubtedly Tanzim, who combined pace, bounce, and aggression to rattle Hong Kong.
Bangladesh’s chase was clinical. They crossed the target with 14 balls to spare, showing both professionalism and discipline.
Before the tournament, Bangladesh’s preparation camp had focused heavily on fitness. That emphasis paid off straight away, as Liton and Hridoy ran hard between the wickets in the scorching Abu Dhabi heat.
After sealing the game, Liton accelerated brilliantly, reaching his half-century with a flurry of fine strokes. He eventually fell for 59 off 39 balls, leaving the field just two runs short of victory. His partnership with Hridoy added 95 runs off 70 deliveries.
Bangladesh’s innings began brightly with two boundaries from Parvez Hossain Emon in the very first over. But both openers failed to build on their starts. Parvez struck a six before being dismissed for 19 off 14, while Tanzid Hasan managed 14 off 18 before falling on a sluggish surface.
From there, Liton and Hridoy steadied the innings. They carefully read the wicket, respected the variations from Hong Kong’s bowlers, and kept the scoreboard moving with singles and doubles. After 50 runs, they had hit only three boundaries.
Then Liton unleashed his stroke-making. Having crawled to 27 off 25 balls, he raced to his fifty by smashing 23 runs off the next eight deliveries. Along the way, he surpassed Mahmudullah to become Bangladesh’s all-time leading six-hitter in T20Is, and also climbed to second in Bangladesh’s overall T20 run charts.
Still, there was one regret—he could not finish the job himself. After a well-controlled knock, Liton was bowled while attempting a slog, with just two runs left to win.
Hridoy stayed unbeaten on 35 off 36, playing a steady, effective innings without a boundary after his first scoring shot. He guided the team home with maturity.
Earlier, Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was pleased to bat first after winning the toss. His team had a shaky start as Anshuman Rath fell early to Taskin Ahmed, while veteran Babar Hayat smashed a six before being bowled by Tanzim Hasan the very next ball.
Opener Zeeshan Ali struggled early, scoring just 8 off 22 deliveries. But suddenly he found some rhythm, striking 20 runs in seven balls before falling for 30 off 34. Murtaza himself injected momentum with 28 off 19 balls, hitting two sixes and two fours before being run out. Veteran Nizakat Khan played a slow knock of 42 off 40, only accelerating near the end with two boundaries and a six.
Rishad Hossain cleaned up the tail with two wickets in the final over of his spell, while Taskin’s last over conceded just nine runs as Hong Kong crept past 140.
But Bangladesh showed that total was never enough.
Match Summary
- Hong Kong: 143/7 in 20 overs (Zeeshan 30, Nizakat 42, Murtaza 28; Taskin 2/38, Tanzim 2/21, Rishad 2/31)
- Bangladesh: 144/3 in 17.4 overs (Liton 59, Hridoy 35*, Parvez 19, Tanzid 14; Atif 2/14, Ayush 1/32)
Result: Bangladesh won by 7 wickets.
Player of the Match: Liton Kumar Das.
