Hong Kong hire former Sri Lanka star as head coach ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Hong Kong will be playing the upcoming 2025 season of the Asia Cup as they have hired the former Sri Lanka opening batter, Kushal Silva, as the men’s head coach. His appointment has come ahead of their campaign, where they will face Afghanistan in the event opener on September 09. 

Kushal Silva, the 39-year-old Colombo-born, featured for 39 Tests for the national side, where he smashed 2099 runs at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of three centuries and 12 half-centuries at the best score of 139 runs. In 335 FC innings, he nailed nearly 14k runs at an average of 46.44 with 41 centuries and 54 half-centuries.

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Silva’s career progressed between 2011 and 2018, as his last red-ball clash in international cricket came against England in Kandy. The veteran has had coaching stints in Sri Lanka, England, and Australia since 2019, when he finished as a player. However, this will be his first assignment for the international side.

Hong Kong appoint Kaushal Silva as men’s head coach ahead of Asia Cup 2025

‘Kaushal's dedication to nurturing and developing talent resonates with our vision for the future of cricket in Hong Kong. We believe that under his guidance, we can not only elevate our competitive standing but also promote the sport within our community.’ Burji Shroff, the chairperson of the Hong Kong Cricket, China, in a press release, said about the board’s plans.

Silva has made a clear message of ‘focus will be on instilling a strong work ethic and a winning mentality amongst the senior squad and working to identify and nurture fresh talent for continued growth". In the batter’s appointment, they will be looking to develop their skills in various departments during the T20 Asia Cup, where they will also face Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the first group stage.

Their last assignment was in the Asia Pacific Champions Trophy in Singapore. In the final, they lost to Malaysia, who chased down the target of 53 runs in five overs thanks to captain Syed Aziz’s brutal knock of 36 runs in nine balls with five sixes and one boundary.