Asia Cup 2025: Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan cricket team will rely on their spin attack once again as they face off against Hong Kong in their opening Group B match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Updated: September 9, 2025 5:11 PM IST
Afghanistan cricket team will open their campaign in the Asia Cup 2025 with a clash against minnows Hong Kong in match No. 1 of Group B at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan team have only lost a couple of matches to Pakistan in their last 5 T20I matches – including one by 75 runs in the tri-series final in Sharjah on Sunday.
The Afghanistan Playing 11 for Tuesday’s match against Hong Kong is expected to be largely the same from the one they fielded in the tri-series final. The side is expected to feature a four-pronged spin attack led by captain Rashid Khan. Former captain Mohammad Nabi will add his experience while mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar will make his Asia Cup debut in the clash against Hong Kong.
These three spinners will be joined by Chennai Super Kings chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad showcasing a formidable spin attack. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will provide pace bowling options to Rashid Khan.
Kolkata Knight Riders opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and in-form Ibrahim Zadran will be opening the innings for Afghans while the promising Sediqullah Atal will there at the top to back-up the openers.
Hong Kong, on the other hand, will largely bank on their openers Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath – their leading run-scorers. Rath has scored five half-centuries this year and is averaging near 50 with a top-score of 100 off 59 balls against Singapore.
In terms of head-to-head matches between Afghanistan and Hong Kong, it is rather closely contested with Afghans winning 3 matches and Hong Kong winning twice in the 5 matches between the two Asian rivals.
Asia Cup Vibes 🔛#AfghanAtalan | #AsiaCup2025 | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/H1vSiTjBQV
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2025
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Asia Cup 2025 Group B match No 1 Predicted 11
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Matthew Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza (c), Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Nasrulla Rana, Ayush Shukla
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