DUBAI – Indian squad advanced to the super four stage after beating Hong Kong in their second encounter in Asia Cup.
Chase a big total of 193, Hong Kong fell 40 runs short as the side finished at 152/2 in the limited overs. Underdog Hong Kong lost their opener Yasim Murtaza for a combined score of a mere 12 in the second over.
Captain Nizakat Khan along with Babar Hayat anchored the run chase with an 39-run partnership for the second wicket before the captain returned.
Hong Kong then lost two more wickets in quick successions, which hampered their chances to seal an upset victory. Wicket-keeper batter Zeeshan Ali was unbeaten with his quick 26.
That's that from our second match at the #AsiaCup2022. #TeamIndia win by 40 runs.
Scorecard – https://t.co/k9H9a0e758 #INDvHK #AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/fIPq7vPjdz
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 31, 2022
Earlier, former skipper Virat Kohli and power hitter Suryakumar Yadav hit half-tons to steer Men in Blue into the Asia Cup Super Fours.
Star batter Kohli made 59 while Suryakumar got 68 off 26 balls as the duo put on an unbeaten stand of 98.
Hong Kong had largely kept the Rohit-led squad in check before losing their way once Suryakumar hold key.
Skipper Rohit Sharma started cautiously before taking on Hong Kong medium-pace bowler Haroon Arshad with two sixes and one boundary in a 22-run third over.
India has won 18 of the 24 T20Is it has played so far this year – its best across any calendar year. Its win places Pakistan and Hong Kong in a virtual knockout match for the second Super 4 spot from Group A on Friday.
Star batsman Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav hit half-centuries to steer India into the Asia Cup Super Fours on Wednesday.
Kohli made 59 while Suryakumar smashed 68 off 26 balls as the two put on an unbeaten stand of 98 after Hong Kong put India in to bat first in Dubai.
Suryakumar hit a 22-ball fifty and cracked four sixes in the final over to bring alive the crowd as India try to seal their Super Four spot in the six-nation tournament, which acts as a tune-up to the T20 World Cup in October-November.
Indian batters have set a target of 193 runs for underdog Hong Kong to score in their second encounter in Asia Cup.
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli has picked up the pace for Men in Blue and will look to take his team to a strong total against Hong Kong.
Kohli, who has gone almost three years without hitting a century, started cautiously and continue to pace after the mid-innings break.
Aggressive hitter Suryakumar Yadav also struck boundaries at will while skipper Rohit Sharma failed to play an impressive knock after getting out on 21. Opener KL Rahul scored 36 off 39 balls before being dismissed by Ghazanfar in the 13th over.
Underdog Hong Kong displayed A-game in the first half as Indian batters struggled to find boundaries.
Earlier, Hong Kong won the toss and elected to field first against India who earlier outclassed arch-rivals Pakistan in a nail-biter.
Squads
Team India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan/R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Team Hong Kong: Nizakat Khan (capt), Babar Hayat, Yasim Murtaza, Kinchit Shah, Scott McKechnie (wk), Haroon Arshad, Aizaz Khan, Zeeshan Ali, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Ghazanfar
Why are Pakistan wearing black armbands during clash against India in Asia Cup 2022?
