The side registered a comfortable eight-wicket win over the UAE in the last game of the Qualifier stage on August 24 and, as a result, confirmed a spot in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.
Hong Kong, the 23rd-ranked team in the ICC T20I Rankings, will join top-ranked India and No.3 Pakistan in Group A of the first round of the tournament, beginning August 27.
The Nizakat Khan-led side registered three straight wins in the Qualifier tournament played at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, including the decisive one by eight wickets against UAE.
The two teams and Kuwait were in with a chance at the start of the sixth and the final game of the competition. The net run rate would have come into the equation had UAE won to determine the qualifying team between them and Kuwait. However, Hong Kong, having defeated Singapore and Kuwait earlier, produced an all-round show to ensure their smooth sailing.
Mohammad Wasim struck two fours and a six within the first two overs to get UAE off to a flyer, but off-spinner Ehsan Khan and seamer Ayush Shukla struck regularly to down them 25/3 and later 77/5 by the 12th over. Chundangapoyil Rizwan (49) and Zawar Farid (41) played their parts, but 147 all-out appeared an under-par total with the conditions getting progressively better for batting.
The Hong Kong top-order confirmed just that, with openers Nizakat (39 off 39), Yasim Murtaza (58 off 43), and Babar Hayat (38* off 26) making a light work of the chase.
Hong Kong will play India in Dubai on August 31 and Pakistan in Sharjah on September 2. The top-two finishing teams qualify for the next round.
Brief scores
UAE 147 all-out in 19.3 overs (Rizwan 49, Farid 41, Khan 4/24, Shukla 3/30) lost to Hong Kong 149/2 in 19 overs (Murtaza 58, Khan 39, Hayat 38*, Hameed 1/31) by eight wickets.
