- On Tuesday, 9 September , the Asia Cup 2025 begins at the zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Abu Dhabi, with Afghanistan taking on Hong Kong in the first match of the tournament.
Team Preview
Afghanistan step into this competition with strong confidence, and impressive recent results. . In Batting Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediquallah Atal , providing aggression and quick start in powerplay. Middle order Ibrahim Zadran provide stability in middle overs and all rounders Mohammad Nabi and Rashid khan provides depth power and finishing ability in crucial overs.
In bowling unit Afghanistan have World class spinners like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad who control game in middle overs and also have wicket taking ability. In UAE they all play vital role in Asia Cup 2025 on slow spin and grip surface track, pace option like Naveen ul haq and Fazal haq Farooqi can expoilt early swing and also used variations in death overs.
On the other hand Hong Kong, have faced quality side before and even pulled off notable upsets in qualifying rounds. But competing at the Asia Cup 2025 is always a daunting task . Their squad reflects passion and determination more than experience. Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath are expected to carry the batting order while Yasim Murtaza provides a mix of stability and spin bowling options. The team middle order featuring kinchit Shah and Zeeshan Ali, will have to play with responsibility, especially against Afghanistan spin attack.
Bowling remains Hong Kong biggest challenge. Their seam department lacks raw pace, so their strategy will revolve around discipline and accuracy. Spinners like Murtaza and Ehsan Khan could be crucial, especially given the conditions in Abu Dhabi which often favour slower bowlers. If Hong Kong are to stand a chance, their bowlers must must restrict Afghanistan top order.
Head to Head
In Last 5 Matches
| Total Matches | 5 |
| Afg won | 3 |
| Hk won | 2 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Results | 0 |
Pitch and conditions
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium has a reputation for balanced surfaces. Batters can score big once set, but bowlers who rely on variations often succeed. Dew might play a role in evening games, making chasing slightly easier.
Probable playing XIs
Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediquallah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid khan (c),Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul haq, Fazal haq Farooqi, mujeeb Ur Rahman
Hong Kong
Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Martin coetzee,
Yasim Murtaza (c), kinchit Shah, Anshuman Rath, Nizakat Khan , Ateeq Iqbal , Ehsan Khan, Ayush sukhla, Kalhan challu
Key player to Watch
Rahmanullah Gurbaz : He is a explosive batter and take bowlers in powerplay and set ton for the team. Hong Kong bowler try to keep him quite and get him out early of the innings.
Rashid Khan: Everyone knows about him he is a world class spin bowler and also contribute with a bat in end of the innings.
Babar Hayat: he is the backbone of the Hong Kong batting side if he bat a 10 overs then it make difficult for Afghanistan.
Ehsan Khan: He also play vital role for Hong Kong in UAE condition, if he bowl well and get 2,3 wickets then it could be difficult for Afganistan.
Prediction who win the match
Afghanistan are Favourites . In afghanistan team more balanced with both bat and bowl makes them strong restricted Hong Kong and start the campaign with win in Asia cup 2025. But we expected Hong Kong put some fight make little difficult for Afghanistan.
Disclaimer:
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