Abu Dhabi: The much-anticipated T20 Asia Cup 2025 kicks off today at the Abu Dhabi Stadium, with Afghanistan and Hong Kong set to clash in the opening fixture. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time, with fans expecting a closely fought contest.
Afghanistan, led by star all-rounder Rashid Khan, are expected to field Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Hong Kong, captained by Yasim Murtaza, are likely to feature Anshuman Rath, Zeeshan Ali, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Matthew Kotze, Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Nasrullah Rana, and Ayush Shukla.
This year’s tournament features eight teams split into two groups. Group A consists of India, Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE, while Group B includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.
All matches will start at 7:30 p.m. Pakistan time. The UAE will meet India in the second match on September 10, while Pakistan will open their campaign against Oman on September 12.
The marquee clash of the tournament is scheduled for September 14, when arch-rivals Pakistan and India go head-to-head in what is expected to be the highlight of the group stage. The group matches will conclude on September 19 with India facing Oman.
