Asia Cup 2025: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong 1st T20I Match Prediction

On Tuesday, September 9, Afghanistan will play Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2025's opening Twenty20 match. The game is set to begin at 8:00 PM IST and will take place at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The last time the two sides faced one another in a 20-over match was in March 2016. 

Afghanistan enters this game fresh off a tri-series victory against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. They defeated Pakistan in the final after winning three of their four games in impressive fashion. Other than the 2025 tri-series, they didn't play any T20Is. Conversely, Hong Kong enters the Asia Cup having played a lot of 20-over cricket. They took part in the Asia Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy, the Malaysia Tri-Nation T20I Series, and the Quadrangular T20 Series.

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong 1st T20I Match Details:

Zayed Cricket Stadium Pitch Report:

In general, the pitch at Zayed Cricket Stadium provides a fair bat-ball match. Those who bat first have won 41 of the 90 T20 matches played here, while those who chase have had marginally better results (49 wins). With an average score of 136 in the first inning and 123 in the second, it is evident that scoring runs gets more difficult as the game goes on. Fielding first is frequently the preference of captains who win the toss.

Head to Head:

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Predicted Playing XI:

Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), and Mohammad Nabi

Hong Kong: Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Ali Hassan, Ehsan Khan, Shahid Wasif, Anshy Rath, Martin Coetzee, Kinchit Shah, Zeeshan Ali (wk), and Yasim Murtaza (c)

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