The Asia Cup 2025 will kick off on September 9 (Tuesday) with Afghanistan taking on Hong Kong in the tournament opener at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan are coming into this continental showpiece after finishing runners-up to Pakistan in the recent T20I tri-series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Results have been mixed for Hong Kong in 2025 but their ability and spirit to challenge stronger sides keep others on alert. While Hong Kong’s batting has been often anchored by Nizakat Khan, Babar Hayat and Kinchit Shah, Ehsan Khan’s off-spin will be their weapon in bowling.
As far as Afghanistan are concerned, Sediqullah Atal’s good form with the bat has been the positive in the tri-series. In bowling, Rashid Khan will lead the attack. Meanwhile, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s lean patch will be a major concern for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong match details
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Time: 8 PM IST
Date: September 9
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong head-to-head
Afghanistan have played Hong Kong in five matches in T20Is with Rashid Khan’s men winning three. Hong Kong have won the rest of the two games. The last time both these teams met was in 2016, when Afghanistan won the game by six wickets in a game of T20 World Cup in India.
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong fantasy team
Wicketkeepers: Zeeshan Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Batters: Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Anshuman Rath
All-rounders: Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yasim Murtaza
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong AI win prediction
Based on their recent performances, Afghanistan are heavily prime to win the game against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2025. According to Betting Odds, predictions overwhelmingly favor Afghanistan with 93% chances of winning. Meta AI estimated a 90% win probability for Afghanistan as compared to just 10% for Hong Kong. According to CricketAddictor, a total of somewhere around 170-180 for the team batting first will be a good total to defend.
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong predicted probable XIs
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan (C), Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Allah Mohammad, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, KD Shah, Shahid Wasif, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Aizaz Khan, Yasim Murtaza (C), Nizakat Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, A Hassan, Ehsan Khan