Bangladesh captain Litton Das expressed his delight after his side opened their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a convincing seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. More importantly, he hailed young Rishad Hossain, pointing out that Bangladesh had long been searching for a quality leg-spinner, and Rishad seems to have filled that gap.
Batting first, Hong Kong posted a modest 143/7 despite a fighting 42 from Nizakat Khan. Zeeshan Ali (30 off 34) and skipper Yasim Murtaza (28 off 19) provided resistance, but regular breakthroughs by Bangladesh’s bowling attack kept them in check. Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2/21) and Taskin Ahmed (2/38) made early inroads with pace, while Rishad Hossain’s sharp leg-spin (2/31) tightened the screws in the middle overs.
Chasing 144, Bangladesh suffered early setbacks as Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan departed inside the powerplay. But captain Litton Das led from the front, crafting a fluent 59 off 39 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes. His 95-run partnership with Towhid Hridoy (35* off 28) steadied the innings and ensured Bangladesh crossed the finish line with 14 balls to spare.
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Litton Das , who was named Player of the Match, admitted the win was crucial. “It was important to start with a victory. The Asia Cup comes with added pressure, and we handled it well. Our pace bowlers have been consistent over the years, and now with Rishad stepping up as a leg-spinner, the attack looks balanced,” he said at the presentation.
For Hong Kong, it was their second straight defeat, but captain Yasim Murtaza saw positives in the batting unit. “We batted better today, but one of us needed to score big to post a challenging total. Against strong sides like Bangladesh, you can’t let opportunities slip,” he reflected.
With this win, Bangladesh not only boosted their campaign but also showcased a more complete bowling attack—something that has often been their Achilles’ heel in T20 cricket.
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Brief Scores: Hong Kong 143/7 (Nizakat 42, Zeeshan 30; Sakib 2/21, Rishad 2/31) lost to Bangladesh 144/3 in 17.4 overs (Litton 59, Hridoy 35*) by 7 wickets.
