The Asia Cup 2025 is set to kick off with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The game will be held in Abu Dhabi, where Hong Kong boasts a 100% win record against Afghanistan in T20Is. This might seem surprising, but it is the truth. Now, Hong Kong is focusing on employing a decade-old strategy to defeat Afghanistan once again.
Hong Kong’s 100% win record in Abu Dhabi!
The match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi will begin at 8 PM Indian time. Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, is a venue where Afghanistan has a strong record, having won 11 and lost 5 T20 International matches. Hong Kong’s victory against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi is included in those 5 losses. Before the Asia Cup 2025, the two teams played only 1 T20 International match in Abu Dhabi, where Hong Kong defeated Afghanistan by 4 wickets. This means their winning percentage against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi is 100%.
Will Hong Kong defeat Afghanistan with a 10-year-old strategy?
The question is, what is the 10-year-old strategy that Hong Kong might use to beat Afghanistan in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025? It relates to the only T20I match played between the two teams 10 years ago, in 2015. To defeat Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong might again try the same old tactic.
This tactic refers to Hong Kong’s fielding and batting. They won the only T20 played a decade ago due to these two aspects. In 2015, when the two teams met in a T20 International match for the first and last time, Afghanistan batted first and scored 162 runs for 6 wickets in 20 overs. Three of the six wickets that fell were due to run-outs, a result of sharp fielding. When it was time to chase, the batsmen chased down the 163-run target with 2 balls to spare.
What is Hong Kong’s record in the Asia Cup?
We have seen what Hong Kong did to Afghanistan in the T20 played in Abu Dhabi 10 years ago. Now, it remains to be seen whether history repeats itself or is overturned after 10 years. Hong Kong’s 21-year history in the Asia Cup shows that it has not won any of the 11 matches played so far.