The first match of the Asia Cup 2025 is underway with the Afghanistan vs. Hong Kong clash at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan is the clear favorite to win today's match, but Hong Kong has their own firepower in the batting lineup. Their openers, Anshy Rath and Zeeshan Ali, and their star batter, Babar Hayat, have the potential to cause threats against Afghanistan bowlers. On the other end, Afghanistan recently played a T20I Tri-Nation series final against Pakistan. The tournament involving the United Arab Emirates witnessed some stunning performances from the Rashid Khan-led side. 

Toss Update:

Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bat first. As the wicket is looking dry and can lose some more moisture after the first innings. Spinners can get extra help from the track, and batters may have to toil for runs. It is easy to understand why Rashid Khan chose to bat first. 

Skipper of Hong Kong, Yasim Murtaza, said after the toss, "We would have batted first as well, but don't mind bowling first either. We had a tough battle against Oman before getting into this competition; there we played really good cricket. We are looking forward to how Kalhan Challu performs. Mentions that he is a very talented player, and as a team, he says they are looking to perform well on a big stage.

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Rashid Khan, captain of Afghanistan, said after winning the toss, "It looks like a good wicket, and we would like to put a score on the board. We have a good bowling group, but it is not just about the spinners. We have put the Tri-Series final behind; it was good preparation, and we have had discussions on how to improve on that. If we managed to win the final, we would not change our style of playing."

Playing XIs:

Hong Kong—Yasim Murtaza (C), Zeeshan Ali (WK), Nizakat Khan, Anshy Rath, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah.

Afghanistan- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Finally, after weeks of anticipation, the schedule for the 17th edition of the Asia Cup 2025 has been officially released, sparking excitement among cricket fans across the continent. While India retains its hosting rights, due to political tensions, all matches will now be played at neutral venues in the UAE—primarily Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Afghanistan, who are becoming increasingly known for their fearless style of play and growing stature in world cricket, will now be looking to make a real dent in the tournament. Afghanistan's best finish in their Asia Cup history was in 2018, when they almost reached the final, finishing as runners-up in a Super Four match against India. In the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, Afghanistan was unable to progress beyond the group stage due to the close defeats they suffered in a tough group. As they head now into 2025, they will want to convert those missed opportunities into wins.

Afghanistan’s Asia Cup 2025 Schedule

The Asia Cup 2025 will be conducted between September 9 and September 28. Afghanistan is part of Group B, which also includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Four stage, and the best two from there will meet in the final. Here's Afghanistan’s group stage schedule:

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh's full match schedule with dates and timings revealed

Asia Cup 2025 – Super Four Stage Schedule