Asia Cup 2022: After the inaugural win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Group A, India to continue its campaign in Asia Cup 2022 as it will take on Hong Kong on Wednesday, August 31, at the Dubai International Stadium. A win more will guarantee Men In Blue a spot in the super four round.


The all-around efforts of Hardik Pandya enabled India to surpass Pakistan's total low total of 147 on Sunday. Bhuvneshwar Kumar demonstrated his skill with the ball by scooping up four wickets, and the Indian team as a whole put on a strong showing.


Hong Kong's match-up against a tough Indian side won't be an easy task. The team captained by Nizakat Khan had a fantastic qualifying round, winning all three of their games in the Asia Cup Qualifiers. Ehsan Khan's spin bowling has been excellent, and he may have an impact on the Indian batting order.


Playing Combinations, IND vs HK


India: For the upcoming match against Hong Kong, India is likely to use the same lineup that played against Pakistan. The three quick bowlers with Hardik Pandya and the two spinners have been a successful tactic thus far. Despite the tournament's dismal start, KL Rahul will continue to start, and Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav will all be attempting to reach fifty.


Predicted Playing XI: 


Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh


Hong Kong: Hong Kong had shown strong batting in the last game. The opening combination of Yasim Murtaza and Nizakat Khan, with Scott Mckechnie as the wicketkeeper batter, and the middle order of Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, and Aizaz Khan, is quite strong. In times of need, Haroon Arshad, Zeeshan Ali, and Ehsan Khan have all stood up.


Predicted Playing XI:


Yasim Murtaza, Nizakat Khan (c), Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (wk), Zeeshan Ali, Haroon Arshad, Ehsan Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ayush Shukla


Pitch Conditions


The Dubai International Stadium has hosted two games so far in the tournament and both games have been won by the team batting second. With the extreme temperatures at the venue, it will be important for the team batting first to post a total above 160. 


Weather Conditions 


Even though it will be quite hot during the day, it will get down to 31 degrees celsius at night. The day is predicted to be warm, therefore there is practically no risk of rain. With no clouds in the sky, the wind will blow at 30 km/h.


In these circumstances, bowling first will be preferable as the sides might only use one spinner. India is extremely unlikely to change its strategy, and Hong Kong is expected to start with the same lineup it used to defeat UAE in the playoffs.


IND vs HK Broadcast Details


Match Timings: 7:30 PM IST


Telecast & Live Streaming: Star Sports Network, Disney+Hostar