Afghanistan take on Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2025 opener at Abu Dhabi
Rashid Khan leads Afghanistan, known for their spin bowling strength
Hong Kong's Anshuman Rath aims for a solid start with Zeeshan Ali
Afghanistan lead past T20I against Hong Kong meetings 3-2
Afghanistan will take on Hong Kong in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2025 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Tuesday (September 9). Here's a quick look at their past meetings and what to expect tonight.
This Group B, AFG vs HKG cricket match starts at 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local time) and will be streamed live.
Afghanistan come into the tournament after losing to Pakistan in the UAE Tri-Series 2025 final, but they have a strong and balanced team led by Rashid Khan. Spin bowling is their biggest strength, with Rashid, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their ranks.
Rashid has returned to form after a tough Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. In batting, Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal add support, which helps reduce pressure on the out-of-form opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Hong Kong, led by Yasim Murtaza, are hopeful but cautious. Anshuman Rath has been their most reliable batter, and with Zeeshan Ali as his opening partner, they can give the team a solid start. Ayush Shukla and Yasim Murtaza are expected to lead the bowling. In their last T20I match, Hong Kong lost to Malaysia by 10 wickets in a rain-hit Asia Pacific Championship 2025 final.
Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong T20I Head-To-Head And Prediction
Afghanistan and Hong Kong have played five T20Is so far, with the former leading 3-2. Their last meeting was in the 2016 T20 World Cup first-round group stage.
Since then, Afghanistan have evolved into a formidable T20I team, while Hong Kong are still looking to establish their presence in international cricket.
Afghanistan's experience in UAE conditions and their superior bowling lineup give them a clear advantage. Hong Kong might challenge them at times, but Afghanistan are expected to win.
At the time of writing, Google's win prediction gave Afghanistan a 96% chance of winning.
The pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium has an average first innings score of 136, which is 13 runs more than the second. However, teams chasing have won more matches here (49 wins vs 41).
Afghanistan Vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025 Match 1: Likely Playing XIs
Afghanistan Likely XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Hong Kong Likely XI: Anshuman Rath, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Matthew Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza (c), Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Nasrulla Rana, Ayush Shukla.
