Editor’s Note
The 2025 Asia Cup begins on September 9, with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. This article previews the opening match and the teams’ recent form.
The long wait is almost over. The Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence on Tuesday, September 9. In the very first match of the tournament, the Afghanistan team will clash with Hong Kong. This match will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Both captains, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Hong Kong’s Yasim Murtaza, will want to start the tournament with a win. Afghanistan recently lost to Pakistan in the final of the Tri-Series. The Afghan team will want to move past that loss and look ahead. Let’s take a look at what the probable playing 11 for both teams could be in this match.
Talking about Afghanistan’s probable playing 11, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal could open the innings. Both will try to give the team a strong start. Gurbaz’s form is a cause for concern for the team. He was not in form for most of the matches in the recently concluded Tri-Series. He could find his rhythm against Hong Kong. On the other hand, Sediqullah Atal will want to maintain his form.
The middle order could feature Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, and captain Rashid Khan. The bowling responsibilities could be entrusted to Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
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Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath (wicketkeeper), Martin Coetzee, Jishan Ali, Kalhan Challu, Kinchit Shah, Anas Khan, Yasim Murtaza (captain), Mohammad Waheed, Nizakat Khan, Ehsan Khan.
Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, A.M. Gajanfar, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq.
Yasim Murtaza (captain), Babar Hayat, Jishan Ali, Nizakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Atiq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Haroon Arshad, Ali Hasan, Shahid Wasif, Mohammad Gajanfar, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan.