Hong Kong and Afghanistan will lock horns in the opening game of the Asia Cup today at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The tournament is being played in the T20 format this year, keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year. Both teams are facing each other in the format for the first time since 2016. However, they locked horns frequently before that, and the matches have not happened since Afghanistan's meteoric rise in international cricket.
Afghanistan and Hong Kong have played five T20Is against each other so far, with the former side emerging victorious on three occasions. Hong Kong have also won matches, but their last win came in 2015 at the same venue where the opening game of the Asia Cup is set to be played.
Hong Kong vs Afghanistan head-to-head record in T20Is
| Matches Played | Afghanistan Won | Hong Kong Won |
| 5 | 3 | 2 |
Only 3 Afghanistan players from 2016 featuring in today's match
Afghanistan and Hong Kong last faced in 2016 during the T20 World Cup in India at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Only three players from the Afghanistan team that featured in that match will play today. Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan are still playing nine years later, while the rest of the team will face Hong Kong for the first time.
Nabi won the Player of the Match award in the previous face-off between the two teams for returning with figures of 4/20 and later playing a crucial knock of 17 runs in the 117-run chase. Moreover, in the five matches played between them, four have been won by the team bowling first.
Hong Kong vs Afghanistan head-to-head record in T20Is - List of results
| Winner | Win Margin | Venue | Year |
| Afghanistan | 6 wickets | Nagpur | 2016 |
| Afghanistan | 66 runs | Mirpur | 2016 |
| Hong Kong | 4 wickets | Abu Dhabi | 2015 |
| Hong Kong | 5 wickets | Dublin (Malahide) | 2015 |
| Afghanistan | 7 wickets | Chattogram | 2014 |
Also Read
