HK vs AFG playing XIs: Afghanistan look to make a strong start in the Asia Cup 2025 as they face minnows Hong Kong in the first match of the tournament at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. The Afghans opted to bat first after winning the toss.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bat first in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025 against minnows Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.ย
Afghanistan, an emerging force in global cricket, are coming into the tournament on the back of a loss to Pakistan in a tri-series final that also featured the UAE. Meanwhile, Hong Kong are looking for their first win in the history of the competition despite having been part of the tournament for 21 years now.
Rashid decided that his team would put up the target first as he opted to bat after winning the toss. “We would like to bat first. It looks like a good wicket to put runs on the board. A good total on the board will help the bowlers,” Rashid said at the toss.
“In T20, it does not matter if you win the toss or not, but you have to give yourself the best opportunity to pick wickets in the middle period. It is already behind us, we are well focused on the game today. Even if we had won the final,ย we would have focused on the game today and how to win. Just one change – Gulbadin is back,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong skipper Yasim Murtaza stated that he, however, wanted to bowl first. “We wanted to bowl first. I am happy to bowl. We worked hard to get here. We played good cricket in the qualifiers. As a captain, I am looking forward to seeing how Kalhan Challu will do on the big stage,” Murtaza said at the toss.
The Asia Cup kicks off with these two teams facing each other in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan have been placed in a group of death with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh being the other two teams in Group B.ย
Afghanistan’s Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong’s Playing XI: Zeeshan Ali(w), Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Challu, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza(c), Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan