Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Hong Kong National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat in the first match of Group B in the Asia Cup 2025 against Hong Kong at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said the wicket looks good for putting runs on the board and a strong total will help the bowlers. "We would like to bat first. It looks like a good wicket to put runs on the board, good total on the board will help the bowlers. In T20 it does not matter if you win the toss or not, but you have to give yourself the best opportunity to pick wickets in the middle period. It (tri-series final) is already behind us, we are well focused on the game today, even if we had won the final we would have focused on the game today and how to win. Just one change from the final - Darwish misses out and Gulbadin is back," he said during the toss.
Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza said his team wanted to bowl first and is ready for the challenge." We wanted to bowl first. I am happy to bowl. We worked hard to get here. We played good cricket in the qualifiers. As a captain I am looking forward to see how Kalhan Challu will do on the big stage," Murtaza said.
Afghanistan comes into the match after a tough defeat against Pakistan in the recent Tri-Series tournament. Captain Rashid Khan’s spin attack will aim to give the team a strong start in Group B. Hong Kong, led by Yasim Murtaza, will face a stiff challenge in the hot and humid conditions of Abu Dhabi. Fans in India can watch the match live on the Sony Sports Network. Channels airing the game include Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil, Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu and Sony Sports Ten 5. Fans can also stream the match live on the Sony Liv app and website. A subscription plan is required to watch the match online. Streaming is available through mobile devices, laptops and connected TVs.
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Asia Cup 2025 Match 1 Live Streaming Details
Date: September 9, 2025
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Match Start Time: 8:00 PM IST
Toss Time: 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming in India: SonyLIV app and website
Live Telecast in India: Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil, Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu, Sony Sports Ten 5
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Asia Cup 2025 Match Weather Report, Pitch Report of Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
The game is expected to be played under clear skies with no chance of rain. The maximum temperature will reach 40 degrees Celsius and the minimum will be 31 degrees Celsius.
The pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium is expected to support both batters and bowlers. Fast bowlers can gain assistance with the new ball if they bowl in the right areas. Batters will need to be cautious in the early overs as the ball may move after pitching. Spinners are likely to play a key role in the middle overs, provided the conditions remain dry. If dew appears, spinners may find it difficult to grip the ball and affect the game.
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Asia Cup 2025 Match 1 Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong: Zeeshan Ali(w), Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Challu, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza(c), Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan
