Afghanistan face Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2025 on September 9
The weather in Abu Dhabi will be hot and humid during the match
The pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium will provide balance between bat and ball
Afghanistan take on Hong Kong in the first match of the ACC Asia Cup 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Eight teams are taking part in this year’s Asia Cup, which is the third edition to be played in the T20I format.
Drawn together in Group B, minnows Hong Kong will look to test their mettle against an Afghanistan side that lost the UAE Tri-Series against Pakistan on September 7. A stunning performance from Mohammad Nawaz doomed the Afghans to a massive 75-run loss in the final.
For Afghanistan, the complete failure of their top-order batting, with only Sediqullah Atal registering double figures (13), will be a massive cause for concern. Rashid Khan remains their talisman, with the captain taking three wickets against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong sealed their place in the Asia Cup via the ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2024. The associate side are making their third appearance in the tournament, and will need to get a good start in the Hong Kong vs Afghanistan match to have any hopes of qualifying from a group also containing Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025: Abu Dhabi Weather Forecast
As per AccuWeather, the temperature in Abu Dhabi will be around 36°C at the start of the match at 8:00 PM IST. The humidity level will hover around the 50% mark, making for difficult playing conditions. The skies will be partly cloudy but with no chance of rainfall. Dew will not be a factor in the early stages of the tournament.
Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025: Sheikh Zayed Stadium Pitch Report
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi will provide a good battle with bat and ball. On one hand, the pitch has favoured bowlers in T20Is, with the long straight boundaries (72m) and the slow outfield proving a test for batters.
On the other hand, according to Cricmetric, the average first-innings score at the stadium in 2025 is 173, which implies that big scores are still a distinct possibility.
The team which wins the toss will likely opt to bat first, considering that the outfield will slow down further in the second innings. However, almost 55% of the matches at the pitch have been won by the chasing side.
Interestingly, Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi is the most successful bowler at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The pacer has taken 32 wickets in 18 innings at the stadium. Rashid Khan is fifth on the list with 19 wickets.
