Afghanistan will be up against Hong Kong in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025. This article provides details about Hong Kong’s Playing 11 vs Afghanistan for the first match of the tournament.
Hong Kong Playing 11 vs Afghanistan- Asia Cup 2025, Match 1:
Openers: Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath (wk)
Hong Kong would look to put their best foot forward when they step on the field in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025 against an in-form Afghanistan.
Hong Kong, the team that was not a part of the last edition of the Asia Cup in 2023, will have to bat well for them to stand a chance of getting rid of Afghanistan in the upcoming match.
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The team will rely on the top three batters to deliver a strong performance, as they are the most experienced batters in the Hong Kong batting lineup and would also back themselves to do the same.
Hong Kong will open the batting with Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath, both of whom have been a part of the Hong Kong setup for quite a while.
The two were also a part of the team in the 2022 edition of the Asia Cup, where Hong Kong made it to the main round and were clubbed with India and Pakistan in one group.
Hayat and Rath will look to get the team off to a good start in the power play and lay a platform for the incoming batters to capitalize on.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Martin Coetzee, Zeeshan Ali, Kalhan Challu, Kinchit Shah, Anas Khan
As far as the makeup of Hong Kong’s middle-order batting is concerned, it comprises names like Martin Coetzee, Zeeshan Ali, Kalhan Challu, Kinchit Shah, and Anas Khan
Each of the above-mentioned batters can win the game for the team and would aim to do exactly that against a strong Afghan bowling.
Having said that, the onus to score the bulk of the runs for the team would be on batter Kinchit Shah, who will act as the backbone of the team’s batting, given the amount of experience the individual has under his belt
Shah would wish for ample support from other batters for Hong Kong to post an above-par total while batting first.
Bowlers: Yasim Murtaza (c), Mohammad Waheed, Nizakat Khan, Ehsan Khan
Hong Kong will go in the match against Afghanistan, which is also the tournament opener, with four specialist bowlers, including three spinners and one pacer.
The reason behind going with only one pacer is the nature of the surface, which is expected to be offered at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The surface in question is predicted to offer a lot of assistance for the spinners, and not only in Hong Kong, but we shall see most of the teams relying heavily on spin, which should play a vital role if dew doesn’t dictate the outcome of the match.
Taking that into account, the likes of captain Yasim Murtaza, Nizakat Khan, and Ehsan Khan will take care of Hong Kong’s spin bowling department, with Mohammad Wahid being the only fast bowler.
