Watch: Big controversy in Asia Cup! Anshuman Rath declared out in shocking manner; anger erupts

A massive controversy erupted in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025 between the Hong Kong National Cricket Team and the Afghanistan National Cricket Team on Tuesday, September 9.

The Asia Cup 2025 opener between the Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan National Cricket Team and Yasim Murtaza-led Hong Kong National Cricket Team is currently underway at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Asia Cup 2025: Anshuman Rath Declared Out in Bizarre Way During Asia Cup Clash

Batting first in the match, the Afghans posted a big score of 188/6 on the board, riding on the brilliant batting performances from Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai.

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Then, with the ball, Afghanistan were off to a great start as Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed opener Anshuman Rath for a golden duck in the first over itself.

On the second ball of the over, Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled a back-of-a-length outside off, and it shaped away late. Rath went looking for it without any constructive footwork, and it looked like he edged it through to Rahmamullah Gurbaz, with the on-field umpire raising his finger.

Anshuman Rath was not sure if he had edged it or not and was contemplating using DRS. However, it seemed like he was talked out of his decision by the non-striker Zeeshan Ali, and he did not opt for the review.

Later, UltraEdge showed there was a daylight gap between bat and ball, and his gloves were also miles away. Had Anshuman Rath used a DRS, he would have survived, and looking at the replays, he was left fuming at his teammate Zeeshan Ali for not letting him use a DRS.

Watch: Anshuman Rath left fuming at teammate after shocking Asia Cup dismissal

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— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) September 9, 2025

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— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) September 9, 2025

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It looks like a good wicket to put runs on the board - Rashid Khan

Speaking after winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan said that they are focused on giving their best in the Asia Cup 2025 and have forgotten about the Tri-series final debacle against Pakistan. He said:

"We would like to bat first. It looks like a good wicket to put runs on the board; a good total on the board will help the bowlers. In T20 it does not matter if you win the toss or not, but you have to give yourself the best opportunity to pick wickets in the middle period.

"It (tri-series final) is already behind us, we are well focused on the game today, even if we had won the final we would have focused on the game today and how to win. Just one change from the final - Darwish misses out and Gulbadin is back."

Meanwhile, Hong Kong skipper Yasim Murtaza said that they have played good cricket for quite some time and would want to continue the momentum. He said:

"We wanted to bowl first. I am happy to bowl. We worked hard to get here. We played good cricket in the qualifiers. As a captain I am looking forward to see how Kalhan Challu will do on the big stage."