5 players to watch out for in the Asia Cup Qualifiers 

The biggest cricketing tournament in Asia will commence this September. The tournament has a weird format, to say the least. There will be two groups consisting of 3 teams each out of which, the top 2 from each group will qualify for the Super 4 stage. The teams will play round-robin matches sub the Super 4 with top 2 teams advancing to the final.

Among the 6 teams that'll participate in this tournament 5 have already been decided. The 5 full members of the ICC which are from the Asian continent (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Afghanistan) have gained direct access to the competition.

However, one spot is still up for grabs. 6 teams will fight it out against each other to be a part of the coveted tournament of Asia. Those 6 teams (Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, UAE & Hong Kong) will play the Asia Cup Qualifiers from 29th August to 6th September. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in India but since the venue of the main tournament itself was changed, the qualifier tournament also experienced the same fate as the tournament will now be held in Malaysia.

All the aforementioned teams would be raring to go considering the opportunity they have in their hands. The teams would obviously want their squad to perform at their level best, but they would also wish for their star players to perform exceedingly well in order to strengthen their chances of qualification.

All the sides have some high calibre players who could completely change the complexion of the match on their own. Although a plethora of good cricketers would be determined to perform well, a few of them are certain to grab more attention. So, here are the five cricketers to watch out for in the upcoming Asia Cup Qualifiers.

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#5 Rohan Mustafa (UAE)

The UAE Will Rely A Lot On The Shoulders Of Rohan

The UAE captain would be hopeful of his side's chances of qualifying for the main tournament. Mustafa is not only competent with the bat but is also quite handy with his deceiving seam-up as well.

Earlier this year he led his team well from the front in ICC WCL Division-2 tournament as he scored 183 runs in 6 matches to go along with 13 wickets. His incredible all-round show helped UAE win that tournament & advance to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. He'd be eager to repeat such performances in this tournament too.

#4 Bilal Khan (Oman)

Bilal is certainly one of the best fast bowlers in the Associate arena

The joint highest wicket-taker of ICC WCL Divison-2 will certainly be the main bowler for the Gulf nation. Khan picked 17 wickets in 6 matches during the aforementioned tournament which consisted 2 five-wicket hauls. He is a complete package as a bowler.

Bilal, who has pretty decent pace, is a genuine wicket-taker & can also squeeze the runs flow when required. Oman might not be the favourites to win the tournament but if anyone can turn the tides for them it's undoubtedly Bilal Khan.

#3 Paras Khadka (Nepal)

Nepal Cricket's Mr.Eveything

Paras Khadka is probably one of the best cricketers to have ever represented any associate cricket team and that's not an exaggeration. He has served the Nepalese Cricket Team for over a decade now.

The biggest ray of hope in an otherwise fragile looking batting line-up, Paras has won many matches for Nepal. From the Division-5 stages to an ODI nation, Paras has been the epitome of Nepal's success. He, for one more occasion, will be the key to Nepal's journey in the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

#2 Anshuman Rath (Hong Kong)

Rath is a naturally attacking batsman who will be vital for the Hong Kong team

A free-flowing top order batsman Anshy would be looking to light up the Qualifiers tournament with his sensational batting performances. The 20 year old won't leave any stone unturned when he walks out to bat for his team. Rath has an exceptional batting average of over 52 with the highest score of 143*. His performance will be the most anticipated one from the perspective of a Hong Kong supporter.

#1 Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)

The biggest name in cricket currently outside of the full members' circuit

The Nepalese wonder kid who is plying his trades all over the globe would undeniably be the biggest attraction in the approaching tournament. After successful stints in the IPL & GLT20 Canada, he's now mesmerizing everyone in the CPL.

The experiences he collects from these leagues could prove mighty for him and the Nepalese team. Sandeep played a key role in Nepal's maiden ODI victory a few days back as he scalped 3 Dutch wickets. His performance could make or break Nepal's chances to qualify for the Asia Cup.