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And here it is! The biggest continental event in the Asian subcontinent beckons, as the 17th edition of the Men's Asia Cup goes on floors in the United Arab Emirates. A tournament often studded with thrills, spills and drama, just as any contest between neighboring countries often is.
Unsurprisingly, the buzz has hit fever pitch. Not least in India for it has been a little over a month since they last played a cricket match - as rare as it can get in today's era outside the IPL. India and the BCCI are the hosts of this event too, but will be staging the event across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
While the Men's Asia Cup is set for its 17th iteration, it marks only the third instance of the tournament being played in the T20 format. Rightly so, given that there's a T20 World Cup on the horizon in early 2026. Unlike the previous three editions - two of which were played in the one-day format - this one features eight teams instead of six, split into two pools of four each.
Drawing the curtains open in a Group B clash will be Afghanistan and Hong Kong, who will be joined by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in what is clearly the 'group of death'. Hong Kong haven't managed to secure a ticket to the T20 World Cup and hence, this tournament will be about making a statement and taking definitive strides towards becoming the team they wish to be.
It's not everyday they get to play against some of the world's top teams after all and that's where Hong Kong will relish the opportunity to make their mark. They have taken part in the Asia Cup before, most famously running India close in Dubai in 2018 on the back of Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan's 174-run opening partnership. The duo in question will be in action this tournament, forming the core of the batting lineup alongside the destructive Babar Hayat, wicket-keeper Zeeshan Ali and captain Yasim Murtaza.
Muratza and off-spinner Ehsan Khan, who famously dismissed MS Dhoni for a duck in the aforementioned 2018 clash, will be expected to show the way in the spin department while Nasrulla Rana and Ayush Shukla are set to start as the frontline pacers. Ateeq Iqbal could slot in as the third pacer, unless Hong Kong pick an additional spinner in the form of leggie Mohammad Ghazanfar.
While Hong Kong last played in the Asia Pacific Champions Trophy in July, finishing runners-up to Malaysia, Afghanistan have been busy with a tri-series in Sharjah. That they contested the final last night is proof enough of the kind of match practice they will enter the Asia Cup with, although the ignominy of being bundled out for a paltry 66 by Pakistan is something they will have to put behind them quickly enough.
It's no secret that bowling is Afghanistan's biggest strength and they could unleash as many as four world-class spinners in Mohammad Nabi, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad and skipper Rashid Khan in tandem, with Azmatullah Omarzai partnering Fazalhaq Farooqi with the new ball. Of course, a fresh deck at the Zayed Cricket Stadium could call for a third seamer, meaning that Ghazanfar could miss out for either Fareed Ahmad Malik or Naveen-ul-Haq, the latter of whom was surprisingly not part of the tri-series.
That said, there are clear worries on the batting front. While Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal arrive in good touch, the same cannot be said about Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who could almost single-handedly be the difference between Afghanistan posting a par total and a match-winning one. Karim Janat blitzed a couple of cameos but Darwish Rasooli struggled to get the big runs, meaning that Afghanistan could be tempted into starting with the experience of Gulbadin Naib instead.
Hong Kong are a side with nothing to lose and that's precisely where this contest could prove to be a slippery banana skin for the Afghans, even as they begin as overwhelming favorites. The notion that they are the second best T20 team in Asia isn't a stretch as their semifinal appearance at the T20 World Cup last year would indicate, although it was put to test in the tri-series. If they are to prove it right and make the final of the Asia Cup for the very first time, they will have to hit their straps with the bat and set it up for their bowlers to then apply the choke.
Of course, friendlier batting decks could aid their cause and that is something they will dearly take on the back of their recent struggles. That aside, cricket at this time of the year in the UAE often brings dew into picture and the decision to push back the start time by half an hour in a bid to negate the heat could only intensify that factor even further.
While teams would hope that the toss doesn't prove to be overly critical, dealing with conditions and ensuring they adapt quickly will be the inevitable requirement. With 19 grueling matches headlining this continental event though, expect plenty of talking points to emerge. This is where the battle for Asian supremacy resumes - you surely don't want to take your attention off this alright!
Afghanistan Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong Probable XI: Zeeshan Ali (wk), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza (c), Aizaz Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Ghazanfar
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