• Litton Das scored 59 to lead Bangladesh to a seven-wicket victory over Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong posted 143-7, with Nizakat Khan contributing 42 runs.
• Bangladesh's chase included a vital 95-run partnership between Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy.
• This match marked Hong Kong's second straight loss in the group stage.
• The Asia Cup serves as a build-up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2025.

In their Asia Cup opener, Bangladesh secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over Hong Kong, with skipper Litton Das scoring 59 runs. After Hong Kong chose to bat first, they managed to post 143-7, with Nizakat Khan contributing 42 runs in the match held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Thursday, according to dawn and aljazeera.

Despite losing two early wickets, Bangladesh's response was bolstered by a rewarding partnership of 95 runs between Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy, who finished with an unbeaten 35 runs. They guided Bangladesh to reach 144-3 in just 17.4 overs, overcoming early setbacks in their chase, as highlighted by scmp and dawn.

During the innings, Hong Kong lost vital wickets early on before a third-wicket partnership between Nizakat and Zeeshan Ali, who made 30 runs, offered hope. Following Nizakat's dismissal by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who claimed two key wickets, the Hong Kong innings faltered toward the end, as reported by aljazeera and scmp.

Initially placed in Group B alongside Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Hong Kong faced their second consecutive defeat after losing to Afghanistan in their tournament opener by a staggering 94 runs. Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to begin their campaign against Oman, marking the Asia Cup as a crucial precursor to the T20 World Cup in early 2025, according to scmp and dawn.