5 bowlers to watch out for in the Asia Cup 2018

From Muttiah Muralitharan to Anil Kumble, from Wasim Akram to Chaminda Vaas, from Kapil Dev to Waqar Younis, and from Zaheer Khan to Mashrafe Murtaza, Asia has produced some of the best bowlers in the game’s history and continues to do so.

With the Asia Cup right around the corner, we are in for another treat as bowlers from all six countries will bowl their hearts out and perform their best in the UAE. With youngsters such as Jasprit Bumrah, Shadab Khan, Rashid Khan, and Mustafizur Rahman, we’ll see some of the best raw bowling talent world cricket has to offer.

The ICC Cricket World Cup is fast approaching, and Asian teams are struggling to find the right combinations in ODIs. With a world-class tournament in front of them, it’s more than likely that teams will find it the best way to lock their lineups for future tournaments.

Each squad is filled with numerous good bowlers. Let’s take a look at five of the bowlers who can make a big impact on the final outcome of Asia.

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#5 Akila Dananjaya

Dananjaya will reach great heights in his career

14 wickets in 5 matches against South Africa in the recently concluded series. Need we say more? Akila Dananjaya made his ODI debut in 2012 but has only played 24 matches since.

An off-break bowler, Dananjaya has several variations in his bowling, including the leg-break, googly, carrom ball, doosra, and his stock off-spinner. He impressed Mahela Jayawardene so much that he was fast-tracked to the national squad before his debut.

He’s recently improved and shown much promise, which is a positive sign for the Lankans. There is little doubt that the youngster will be a star during the Asia Cup and make Jayawardene proud.

#4 Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib is no stranger to success

Shakib Al Hasan’s bowling is a treat to watch. He’s the smartest when it comes to bowling line and length that can bamboozle even the best of the best. He's shown that time and time again in his illustrious career.

Shakib has always carried the Bangladeshi batting and bowling when he’s in form, and will once again look to do so during the Asia Cup. Even as an all-rounder, he leads the Bangladeshi bowling lineup more often than not and uses his experience to his advantage.

#3 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

With an international bowling average under 18 and 45 wickets in 21 matches, the young left-arm chinaman bowler will be a regular for India for a long time. The rarity of his bowling variations has helped him get wickets with ease in subcontinental conditions.

The UAE will be an equally good place for him to showcase his talent and variations and increase his victim count. He grabbed his first fifer just two months ago and is in great bowling form at the moment.

India has a host of different bowlers in their squad, but Yadav shines out and is the one bowler to look out for from the Men in Blue.

#2 Hasan Ali

Get ready for some fireworks from Hasan Ali

Since making his debut against Ireland in 2016, Hasan Ali has enjoyed a lot of success at the international level. Still very young, he has become the backbone of Pakistan’s bowling in all three formats of the game.

In 2017 he took the most wickets by any bowler in ODIs and was ranked at the top by the end of the year. The ICC also named him as the Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2017. Slowly, he’s overtaken Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, and Mohammad Amir as the leader of Pakistan’s pace attack.

The Asia Cup will see a lot of stumps fly, and it’s possible that many will be off Ali’s deliveries. Knowing the talent and aggression that the youngster possesses, it’ll be interesting to see how far Pakistan go in the Asia Cup with Hasan Ali steaming down at the batsmen.

#1 Rashid Khan

Rashid gives Afghanistan fans a reason to believe in them

With 54 ODIs already under his belt, it’s hard to believe that Rashid Khan is still just 19 years old. He has over 100 wickets at a miserly average of 14.45 and is now feared the world over. To say the least, he is Afghanistan’s greatest exports when it comes to league cricket.

Rashid Khan will have the chance to play among the big boys and show what he’s made of during the Asia Cup. He’s currently ranked number 2 in the ICC Bowler Rankings and is looking to claim the number 1 spot again after some match-winning performances.

Rashid Khan will be the main player for Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, and the 19-year-old will lead the bowling lineup without a doubt. The UAE conditions will work perfectly well for him and he can help Afghanistan score a few upsets in the tournament.

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Which bowler do you think will end up with the highest wickets in the Asia Cup?