The 2025 Asia Cup kicks off on Tuesday with Afghanistan taking on Hong Kong in the opening Group B clash at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan will face Yasim Murtaza’s Hong Kong in what promises to be a competitive start to the tournament.

This edition of the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format, featuring eight teams divided into two groups of four. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman, while Group B has Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The top two sides from each group will advance to the Super Fours, and the best two will then contest the final.

Weather conditions in Abu Dhabi are expected to be hot, with temperatures touching 36°C at the start of play (8:00 PM IST). The skies will remain partly cloudy, but there is no rain forecast. Dew is unlikely to have much impact during the game.

As for the pitch, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is expected to provide a balanced contest. The large boundaries and relatively slower outfield could challenge batters, while spinners are likely to find support. Winning the toss may prompt teams to bat first and set a total.

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong: Predicted Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hong Kong: Yasim Murtaza (c), Anshy Rath, Martin Coetzee, Kinchit Shah, Shahid Wasif, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Ali Hassan, Ehsan Khan.

Afghanistan vs Hong Kong: Squads

Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Ishaq, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib.

Hong Kong Squad: Zeeshan Ali(w), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza(c), Aizaz Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Ehsan Khan, Ali Hassan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Kinchit Shah, Mohammad Waheed, Shahid Wasif, Mohammad Ghazanfar.