Defending champs India qualified to the Super Four spot in Asia Cup 2022 with a 40-run win over Hong Kong at the Dubai International Stadium. The Group A team became the first side to seal their place in the Super Four.
Suryakumar Yadav delivered a blitzkrieg innings in the last seven overs as he remained unbeaten on 68 off just 26 balls, teaming up with Virat Kohli who smashed his 31st T20I fifty – 59 not out off 44 balls – to propel India to a mammoth 192/2.
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Later, the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja gave away only 48 runs to to reduce Hong Kong to 152/5 in 20 overs.
Hong Kong started off slowly but a 71-run stand between Babar Hayat (41) and Kinchit Shah (30) gave Team India a slight fright. But their efforts were just not enough to shadow Suryakumar and Kohli’s batting display.
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Yasim Murtaza hammered Arshdeep for fours over backward point and mid-on although the left-arm pacer had the last laugh, sending a bouncer for Murtaza to find the fine leg fielder who took a catch on the top-edge. Hayat had blasted sixes off Avesh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Hayat showed no mercy, hitting three fours in five balls off Avesh and Arshdeep. But India ended power-play dominant, when Jadeja’s direct hit caught Nizakat Khan short of his crease.
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Jadeja and Chahal had slowed down Hong Kong’s innings with just 14 runs coming in the next four overs. Hayat then tried to take Jadeja to task but fell with a shot to point.
With the required run rate climbing, Hong Kong were unable to keep up. Avesh dismissed Aizaz Khan with a slower ball. Shah tried to hit a big one but miscued his shot to long-off off Bhuvneshwar.
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In the 19th over, Zeeshan Ali lofted over cover for six off Avesh. Scott McKechnie then joined in, with an upper cut, flick and steer to take a six and two fours in a 21-run over that proved expensive for India. Zeeshan then smashed successive fours off Arshdeep in the last over, but it wasn’t enough as India sealed their second consecutive win in the Asia Cup 2022 cricket tournament while also securing a spot in the Super four.
