Kinchit Shah, a Hong Kong batsman who usually handles the family diamond company, shone in a losing cause against India, scoring 30 runs with two fours and a six in the T20 Asia Cup. The Mumbai-born vice-captain, who proposed to his fiancée after the match in Dubai on Wednesday, is part of an odd mix of pizza delivery guys and university students representing Hong Kong this week against Asia’s cricket giants. Since June, the skilled group of ex-pats has been on the road, culminating in a berth in the main draw of the six-nation Asia Cup after winning all three qualifying matches. They were defeated by top-ranked India by 40 runs on Wednesday, but only after a valiant effort in their 193-run chase.
Their next encounter, against Pakistan today in Sharjah, could be their last in the tournament, but skipper Nizakat Khan said they have received a shower of adulation from their new country. “We have a lot of support in Hong Kong.” “We’ve received numerous messages from family and friends,” said Nizakat, who was born in Pakistan. “Playing against India and Pakistan is a big learning experience for us.” We take something away from these two games, and we hope the players learn a lot as well.”
According to Smita Chhetri, the team’s media manager, three players, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, and Yasim Murtaza, have just become fathers but have only met their children via video chats. As prospects for the national squad are limited, cricket is not the primary source of income for most Hong Kong players, as prospects for the national squad are limited.
When India skipper Rohit Sharma was caught at mid-on for 21 runs, fast bowler Ayush Shukla, a 19-year-old university student, rejoiced with a shout and fist bumps. At the highest level, Hayat top-scored with 41, Kinchit made 30, Zeeshan Ali was 26 not out, and Manchester-born Scott McKechnie smashed an unbeaten 16 off eight balls in a rare opportunity to play at the highest level. “These are possibilities for individuals as well,” Nizakat said, adding that his team was making the most of their time in Asia by picking the brains of world-class Pakistani cricketers.
Nizakat, a 30-year-old all-rounder who bowls leg-spin, is one of the numerous players from Pakistan’s Punjab province who have made it to the Hong Kong national squad. With his off-spin, Ehsan Khan, who originally represented the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, returned final qualifier man-of-the-match statistics of 4-24. Hong Kong is coached by Trent Johnston, a former Irish fast bowler who believes his team deserves to be in the top-tier tournament.
