Bruised Afghanistan take on minnows Hong Kong as Asia Cup 2025 kicks off with the opening clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, September 9. The tournament is tipped as the next biggest one apart from the ICC events, with teams like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in action.
India are the official hosts of the tournament, but due to political relations between them and Pakistan, the two teams play their matches at neutral venues. Additionally, logistical issues led to the tournament being completely shifted to the UAE.
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium and the Dubai International Stadium will be the two venues for the tournament.
Afghanistan beating some of the big teams are not considered a major surprise anymore as they have shown their mettle in the global tournaments of late. They have taken a good stride in their bid to become the second-best team in Asia, after India, and some argue they are already there.
However, Afghanistan come into this tournament on the back of a loss, losing the tri-series final to Pakistan. They were asked to chase 142 in the final and were shot out for 66, with the Afghanistan skipper conceding, 'we didn't play the brand of cricket we wanted'.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong have not won a match in the last 21 years of playing the Asia Cup and are hunting for the opening win. Ahead of the clash, here is all you need to know about the pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi pitch report
The pitches in the UAE at this time are not the same as they were during the Champions Trophy in February and March. The surfaces are expected to have more bounce and carry with shot-making not as attritional as was the case in the 50-over tournament.
Dew is set to make its presence felt at both venues of the Asia Cup 2025. Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi surfaces are not known to be conducive to spin as much as the Dubai surfaces are. Expect dew to come and batters to enjoy batting second.
STATS - T20
Total Matches - 90
Matches won batting first - 41
Matches won bowling first - 49
Average 1st innings Score - 136
Average 2nd innings Score - 123
Highest total recorded - 225/7 (20 Ovs) By IRE vs AFG
Lowest total recorded - 54/10 (17.5 Ovs) By USAW vs THAIW
Highest score chased - 174/2 (17.4 Ovs) By RSA vs IRE
Lowest score defended - 93/8 (20 Ovs) By THAIW vs PNGW
