Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Match Preview- Asia Cup 2025, Match 1

Afghanistan will be up against Hong Kong in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025. The Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Match Preview provides today's match details for the first match of the tournament.

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Match Preview- Asia Cup 2025, Match 1:

Date and Venue:

The Afghanistan vs Hong Kong match will be played on September 9 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. The game will start at 8:00 PM IST.

Squads:

Afghanistan

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Hong Kong

Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali, Nizakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Haroon Arshad, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Key battles:

Sediqullah Atal vs Yasim Murtaza

Afghan opener Sediqullah Atal, who was in good form during the recently concluded tri-series involving Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, will look to carry the same form in the match against Hong Kong.

Atal will be up against Hong Kong's captain Yasim Muryuza, who will hope to lead from the front.

Ibrahim Zadran vs Mohammad Waheed

Afghanistan's new number three, Ibrahim Zadran, built a solid partnership with Sediqullah Atal in the tri-series and will look to do the same in the upcoming clash against Hong Kong.

Zadran will face the challenge of Mohammad Waheed, who will have the responsibility of picking wickets with the new ball for his team.

Babar Hayat vs Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Experienced Hong Kong batter Babar Hatat will have to get the team off to a good start for his team to increase its chances of winning against Afghanistan

Hayat will go head-to-head against Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who can bowl with the new ball in the first six overs and pick wickets along with that.

Anshuman Rath vs Fazalhaq Farooqi

Anshuman Rath, who is expected to be the other opener for Hong Kong, will have to put all his experience to good use against a strong Afghan bowling lineup.

Rath will have to tackle the bowling of Fazalhaq Farooqi, who will be entrusted with the task of picking wickets in the powerplay.

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Key Players:

Afghanistan- Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad

Hong Kong- Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza, Mohammad Waheed

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Weather Report:

There is no chance of rain during the game in Abu Dhabi with a maximum temperature of 40°C and a minimum of 31°C.

Conclusion

Afghanistan would like to continue the rhythm that they have of playing the T20I format of the game, having been a part of the tri-series before the Asia Cup, and start the tournament with a win against Hong Kong.

As far as Hong Kong is concerned, the team would like to deliver a solid performance in all three departments to stake their claim for a win in the tournament opener.