5 current best ODI batsmen from each Asian team

The Asian teams are currently playing the best cricket. They were able to get rid of the 'minnows' tag and are not scared anymore to compete even against the world's best teams. They worked hard and mastered the required skills to get to where they are today.

The Asian teams have four batsmen in top 10 on the ICC ODI batting rankings list. This speaks volumes about the kind of talent these teams have. In this article, we take a look at five best batsmen from each Asian team in one-day internationals.

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#5 Upul Tharanga - Sri Lanka

Tharanga has played some good knocks in the last one year

The Sri Lankan cricket team is currently in a very bad state and are not the team they once were. In the recently concluded Asia Cup, Sri Lanka lost against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who were once considered minnows, in miserable fashion and had to go home.

Upul Tharanga has played some good knocks in the last one year and he is the only positive for the team. In 2017, Tharanga scored 1011 runs in 25 innings at an average of 48.14. He was also the third highest run-scorer overall in ODIs last year.

Tharanga has been able to get starts, but has not been able to convert those starts into big ones, and if he can change that, he can definitely become the answer for Sri Lankan batting woes.

#4 Mohammad Shahzad - Afghanistan

Mohammad Shahzad is an explosive batsman

Afghanistan were once considered minnows but have risen through the ranks and are now becoming consistent. They are causing serious trouble to the opposition with both bat and ball.

It is Mohammad Shahzad who should be credited for Afghanistan's batting performances. He was their star at the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018 in which the team registered two key wins and a tie against eventual champs, India. Shahzad registered a terrific century in the tie-game against India.

He ended the series with 268 runs in 5 innings at an average of 53.60. This included a century and a half-century.

#3 Tamim Iqbal - Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal is known for playing quick-fire innings at the top

Tamim Iqbal has been Bangladesh's trump card for a very long time. The southpaw is known for going slam-bang from the word go and can change the outcome of games single-handedly. On his day, he can demolish even the world's best bowlers.

Tamim's presence at the top has given the middle-order the freedom to go out and express themselves as he rarely fails to set the platform for them. His quick-fire starts give the team much-needed confidence.

He holds a number of batting records for Bangladesh and is currently in a rich vein of form which is a positive sign for Bangladesh with the World Cup not very far away.

#2 Babar Azam - Pakistan

Babar Azam's arrival helped the team immensely

Not long ago, the Pakistani batting lineup was struggling to perform and lacked the consistency. However, that changed with the arrival of one man. Babar Azam's arrival helped the team immensely and he has been a revelation for the team with the bat.

He is carrying the bulk of the batting load for Pakistan and is churning out runs consistently. He was the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in 2016 and 2017 and is also the second joint fastest batsman to score 1000 and 2000 ODI runs.

Babar Azam is also a terrific fielder and is a live-wire on the field. He has made a remarkable impact on the team in a very short span of time.

#1 Virat Kohli - India

Virat Kohli is arguably the greatest batsman of this generation

Without a shadow of a doubt, Virat Kohli is the greatest batsman of this generation. He has been scoring heaps of runs since his debut in 2008 and has been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup for a long time.

The Indian skipper plays fearless cricket and is a nightmare to bowl even for the world's best bowlers.

Kohli who is at the pinnacle of his career is only getting better with age, and this year, after featuring in only 9 matches, he scored 749 runs at a breath-taking average of 124.83.