Hong Kong, who will experience their fifth Asia Cup tournament and second T20 Asia Cup competition, have announced the 20-member squad for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2025.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is ready to host the eight-team Asia Cup 2025 between September 9 and 28, as it will be a T20I tournament. It will be the first time that more than six teams are participating in an Asia Cup tournament. 

Asia Cup 2025: How did Hong Kong qualify?

While all five ICC full members from Asia have directly qualified for the Asia Cup 2025, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong have qualified for the tournament through the qualifiers. In the ACC Men's Premier Cup 2024, Hong Kong finished the second position in Group A to advance to the Semi-final, where they lost against Oman by five wickets. However, in the third-place playoff battle, which was the last chance to qualify for the Asia Cup 2025, Hong Kong beat Nepal by four wickets to secure their Asia Cup spot. 

Hong Kong previously participated in the Asia Cup in the 2022 edition, which was in T20I format. After playing eight games in the Asia Cup, they have yet to experience their first win in the competition.  

See Also: Cricket Hong Kong Teams Up with Arivaa Sports for Hong Kong Sixes 2025

Asia Kong: Hong Kong in Group B

In the Asia Cup 2025, Hong Kong will begin from Group B, where they will face Afghanistan (September 9), Bangladesh (September 11), and Sri Lanka (September 15). After playing their first two group stage matches at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong will play their last game of the group at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams in the final points table will advance to the Super Four stage. 

Recently, former Sri Lankan cricketer Kaushal Silva became the head coach of the Hong Kong men's cricket team. In the upcoming Asia Cup, Yasim Murtaza will lead the team, while Babar Hayat will play the deputy role. The team has a nice mixture of experience and youth talents. 

Hong Kong complete squad for Asia Cup 2025

Yasim Murtuza (Captain), Zeeshan Ali, Shahid Wasif, Nizakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Anas Khan, Harood Arshad, Ali Hassan, Md Ghazanfar, Md. Waheed

Cricket in Hong Kong is entering a new era of growth and opportunity with the announcement of a landmark partnership between Cricket Hong Kong China and Arivaa Sports Private Limited.

Arivaa Sports, an India-based sports management company, has been confirmed as the official sponsor of the Hong Kong Men’s Cricket Team, supporting their journey from grassroots development to the Asia Cup 2025 and beyond. This partnership is expected to boost resources, exposure, and opportunities for Hong Kong cricket as the team continues its upward trajectory in international competitions.

Arivaa to Manage Hong Kong Sixes 2025

Alongside the sponsorship deal, Cricket Hong Kong has also appointed Arivaa Sports as the exclusive management and commercial partner for the Hong Kong Sixes 2025. The iconic short-format cricket spectacle will return on October 31, November 1, and November 2, 2025, at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong.

The Sixes is one of the most unique and entertaining cricket events in the world, known for its fast-paced matches, festival-like atmosphere, and international flavor. The 2025 edition promises to be the biggest yet, with players from 12 different countries competing over three action-packed days.

🚨 ARIVAA SPORTS 🤝 CRICKET HONG KONG. 🚨

-Arivaa Sports will be sponsoring Hong Kong's men's cricket team. 👏 pic.twitter.com/YuKbzQcSAw

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 23, 2025

Leaders Speak on the New Era

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Burji Shroff, Chairperson of Cricket Hong Kong China, said: “We are excited to be taking steps forward this year to enhance the Sixes. The Sixes is a tournament steeped in history, and with Arivaa Sports as our exclusive partner, we are convinced this year’s iteration will be larger, better, and more engaging than ever before.”

Adding to this, Mr. Rajneesh Chopra, Co-Founder of Arivaa Sports, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are privileged to be entrusted with such a prestigious global event. The Hong Kong Sixes is a unique celebration of cricket, and we will work hard to ensure a world-class experience for players, fans, and stakeholders.”

ALSO SEE:Sanju Samson bats at number 5 position in ongoing KCL 2025

A Bright Future for Hong Kong Cricket

The dual role of Arivaa Sports both as sponsor of the Hong Kong Men’s Team and as commercial partner for the Sixes marks a transformative step for cricket in Hong Kong. The collaboration is designed to bring global exposure, professional expertise, and fan engagement to new heights, blending tradition with innovation.

As the Hong Kong Men’s Team prepares for the Asia Cup 2025, and the legendary Sixes makes its grand return, fans can look forward to a thrilling new chapter in Hong Kong’s cricket journey.

Hong Kong team for Asia Cup 2025

Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali, Niazakat Khan Mohammad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Ashish Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Haroon Mohammad Arshad, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif, Ghazanfar Mohammad, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan

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.  

Another chapter added in the history of cricket. Anshuman Rath, a cricketer from Hong Kong, smashed a ton during a match against Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy 2025.

In the very last ball of the innings, the batter touched the milestone by stealing a single. Hong Kong skipper Yasim Murtaza went towards the batter and congratulated him in the middle of the pitch. With the help of the century, they put 213 for 4 on the scoreboard in 20 overs limit. That total was too much for their opponent, Singapore. The 5th match of the Asia-Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy 2025 went under a storm when the southpaw started to swing his blade.

The opener started to deal with boundaries from the initial stage of the match. That blazing innings, which later turned into a century, became the 4th instance for Hong Kong, China, to achieve this milestone. During his historic knock for the nation, Rath hit fifteen boundaries and one over boundary; the strike rate was 169.49.

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Watch the moment when Anshuman touched the milestone

Anshuman Rath shines with his maiden T20I century against Singapore today in the Asia-Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy 2025! 🎉👏

Anshuman becomes the 4th player from Hong Kong, China to achieve this milestone. Congratulations once again! #hkcricket #cricket #menscricket… pic.twitter.com/naiFdhcS2C

— Cricket Hong Kong, China (@CricketHK) July 20, 2025

Rath's century was well accompanied by Babar Hayat's aggressive 67-run knock. Singapore, in their home soil, went behind after such classy batting. They could manage to get only 161 for a loss of 5 wickets in their innings. Hong Kong won the game by 52 runs.

Akshay Puri was the most expensive bowler for the Singapore cricket team. In his 4-over spell, Puri leaked 54 runs and claimed only one wicket. Chirag Shivakumar, without taking any scalps, offered 34 runs in his 3 overs. 

India suffered a rare failure in the ongoing Hong Kong Sixes tournament as they registered a string of four consecutive defeats which officially eliminated the Blue Brigade from the quarter-final race. The Men in Blue currently being led by Robin Uthappa have failed to register a single victory in this tournament and will conclude their campaign on a sour note without a win under their belt.

India commenced their campaign by playing the opening match of their tournament against their old foe Pakistan. India has predominantly had the upper hand over their arch-rivals in major cricketing events but contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Indians were taken aback as Pakistan chased down a galloping 120 runs inside five overs in one of the most one-sided fashions. 

But the final nail in the coffin came when India took on a fairly inexperienced UAE side in their second match of the tournament. They were in desperate search of a win to stay in the race. While many expected India to win quite comfortably, UAE held their nerve to steal a narrow one-run victory from India in the final over of the run chase. At that moment, it was all but over for team India. The team subsequently went on to face England and New Zealand in their remaining fixtures but finished winless.  

The intense last-over drama which left India heartbroken

Coming into this fixture after a shocking defeat in their earlier match against Pakistan, Robin Uthappa & Co. found themselves in a high-pressure situation. UAE got off the flyer with the bat but Binny’s 3-31 restricted them to 130. The target of 131 was still going to be fairly tricky but Bharat Chipli gave the Blues a blazing start, smocking 20 in the first over before getting out. But they were soon jolted when they lost Chipli and Tiwari in quick succession giving UAE a window of opportunity to seal the game prematurely. 

But then the skipper arrived and together with Binny, the two dug in there and took the game deep for India. Uthappa went all guns blazing and hammered 43 runs off 10 balls which included three fours and five sixes. He was going along smoothly but Zubair got the better of him in the last ball of the fourth over and had him dismissed when the score was 83-3.

India needed 32 in 6 balls:

Stuart Binny - 4,WD,6,6,6,6,1. India lost by just 1 run. 💔 pic.twitter.com/qyhKWWyqe6

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 2, 2024

However, Binny continued to shine with the bat and kept India in the run chase with the help of his brute hitting. The game eventually progressed to the last over of the run chase where 32 runs were needed. Asif Khan from UAE was tasked with bowling the final over and he was greatted by a boundary first ball followed by a wide the second ball.

Binny then pressed his foot on the accelerator a lot further and went on to tonk four consecutive sixes before being run out on the final ball leaving India agonizingly short by one run. Binny clobbered 30 runs in that over but India fell by a narrow margin as they had way too much on their plate during the final over of the run chase.  

PAK vs HK Match Preview

Pakistan will face Hong Kong in the Asian Games’ second quarterfinal. The match will begin at 11:30 a.m. IST at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Ground. In the second Asian Games quarterfinal, Pakistan will face Hong Kong. Because Pakistan’s main players are involved in the ODI World Cup, a young and inexperienced team will compete for a medal at the Asian Games. The Pakistan team will be led by Qasim Akram, and there will be many new faces in the tournament. Despite their lack of experience, Pakistan will bet on winning the game. Meanwhile, Hong Kong advanced to the Asian Games quarterfinals after defeating Cambodia and Japan in both games. Hong Kong will face difficult challenges in defeating Pakistan.

PAK vs HK Match Details

Pakistan vs Hong Kong – Quarter final Match

Venue: Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field – Hangzhou

Date & Time: 03rd October 2023 at 11:30 AM IST 

Live Streaming: JioCinema App

PAK vs HK Venue Stats

PAK vs HK Pitch Report

The pitches have been favourable for batters. However, it is not a belter of a wicket due to lack of pace and bounce. Getting used to the conditions will be key.

PAK vs HK Weather Report

The weather will be clear and the temperature will range between 27 and 19 degrees. There is no threat of rain during the game.

PAK vs HK Last Five Matches

PAK vs HK Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

PAK vs HK Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Probable Playing XIs

Omair Yousuf, Aamer Jamal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Qasim Akram (C), Usman Qadir, Rohail Nazir, Aarshad Iqbal, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani

Hong Kong Probable Playing XIs

Nizakat Khan (c), Muhammad Khan (wk), Babar Hayat, Akbar Khan, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan, Shiv Mathur, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Niaz Ali, Nasrulla Rana, Ayush Shukla

Topmost Picks for PAK vs HK Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Pakistan

• Omair Yusuf – He is a decent batter and recently played in the Emerging Asia Cup. Yousuf was one of the top run getters of the tournament, scoring 183 runs in five games at an average of 36.
• Shahnawaz Dahani – Shahnawaz Dahani is also a great pick. He is a brilliant bowler and has represented the national team as well. 

Top Picks – Hong Kong

• Babar Hayat – Babar is the best Hong Kong batter and is one of the most consistent performers for the team. Babar has been good in Asian Games as well, scoring 70 runs in two games.
• Nasrulla Rana – The right arm medium pacer has been in good form in Asian Games. He has taken five wickets in two games.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for PAK vs HK Dream11 Team:

Rohail Nazir, Shiv Mathur, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Babar Hayat, Nasrulla Rana(C), Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani(VC), Anas Khan, Ayush Shukla

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for PAK vs HK Dream11 Team:

Rohail Nazir, Shiv Mathur, Asif Ali(C), Khushdil Shah(VC), Babar Hayat, Nasrulla Rana, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Nasrulla Rana, Asif Ali

Vice-captain – Shahnawaz Dahani, Khushdil Shah

Wicketkeeper – Rohail Nazir

PAK vs HK Probable Winners:

The match should be won by Pakistan. The team is inexperienced, but they have a good team at their disposal. Hong Kong may put up a fight against Pakistan, but it will not be enough to win. Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Hasnain, Dahani, and Usman Qadir, appears to be very strong. We recommend betting on Pakistan to win. Considering the team combination, Pakistan is expected to win this match.