The 14th edition of the Asia Cup got underway at the Dubai International Stadium on the 15th of September. The first game saw Bangladesh romp to a mammoth 137-run victory over Sri Lanka.
With the games coming thick and fast, one can expect the battle for Asian supremacy to heat up in the coming days, with the showpiece clash between India and Pakistan scheduled for the 19th of September.
The Asian cricketing giants have put on a spectacle for the cricketing fraternity over the years. The event has provided a platform to numerous individuals to announce themselves on the big stage. Whenever the Asia Cup comes around, fans wait with bated breath to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketing stars locking horns with each other.
The Asia Cup brings together the cream of Asian cricket and a look at a combined eleven of the players plying their trade at this year’s Asia Cup would be fascinating indeed.
Through this article, I have compiled an eleven, consisting of players who are playing the tournament. Without further ado, here is a look at the best possible eleven from the players at the Asia Cup.
#1 Top Order: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Fakhar Zaman
For the opening slots, I have gone in for the irresistible pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. The pair have been one of the premier opening partnerships in the world and hence walk straight into our eleven.
Though Dhawan failed to live up to expectations in England, one can expect him to be back to his run-scoring ways in the UAE, where the pitches are conducive to batting. There was a temptation to pair Fakhar Zaman with Rohit Sharma. However, I have gone for the tried and tested duo of Rohit and Shikhar with Fakhar slotting in at No.3.
The Top 3 are belligerent and would help in setting the tempo of the innings. Fakhar and Rohit have scored double hundreds in ODIs before while Dhawan scores at an impressive strike rate of 93.88.
The trio would give headaches to even the most skilful of bowling attacks and thus comprise the Top 3 of our combined XI.
#2 Middle Order: KL Rahul, Shoaib Malik, MS Dhoni (wk)
The middle order consists of the ever reliable figures of Malik and Dhoni, who would slot into the No.5 and No.6 positions, respectively. The pair are adept at reading the situation and have the unique ability to mould their game based on the team’s requirement. Additionally, the duo excels at finishing games and would be a valuable asset for any team’s middle order.
At No.4, I have gone for the talented KL Rahul. Rahul has transformed into a limited-overs dasher in recent years and was on fire in white-ball cricket, before his troubles against the red Dukes ball. Blessed with the ability to play all the shots in the book, Rahul can manufacture boundaries at will. Rahul would be the perfect No.4 as he is equally adept at tackling spin and seam.
The triumvirate of Dhoni, Malik and Rahul would be the perfect foil to the explosive top order and would accord the balance the side needs. The ability to adapt and their experience gets them the nod over others.
#3 Spinners: Shadab Khan, Kuldeep Yadav
The selection of the spinners was the toughest with a number of top-drawer spinners showcasing their talent at the Asia Cup. The likes of Chahal, Kuldeep, Rashid and Shadab are proven match-winners on the big stage. In the end, I have gone for Kuldeep and Shadab as my first-choice spinners.
Shadab has been a revelation since making his bow in international cricket. Having originally started off as a T20 specialist, he has taken to ODI cricket like a duck to water and boasts of an excellent bowling average of 25. The teenager is very accurate and keeps things tight, not allowing the batsmen any opportunities to break the shackles. The selection of Shadab would be the perfect complement for Kuldeep as Shadab would build pressure thus enabling Kuldeep to weave his magic.
Kuldeep has been bamboozling the batsmen with his unorthodox brand of left arm wrist-spin and is a vital cog in the Indian ODI wheel. He possesses the uncanny knack of coming up with crucial breakthroughs and is a guaranteed wicket-taker. In addition to this, his googly is very hard to read, which makes the batsmen’s job difficult. Hence, Kuldeep and Shabad bowling in tandem would help the team control the flow of runs, while also posing a wicket-taking threat.
Therefore, the pair make the combined eleven as the first-choice spinners.
#4 Fast Bowlers: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Hasan Ali
Of the three fast bowlers, Pandya is the all-rounder while Bumrah and Hasan are the front-line pacers. Pandya has been reliable with the ball in white-ball cricket and gets through his quota of 10 overs more often than not. In addition to his bowling, he would also add a bit of muscle to the batting department and can provide the impetus towards the end of the innings.
Bumrah, on the other hand, has been India’s best bowler since making his debut against Australia in 2016. Having initially started out as a bowler with an awkward action, he is now one of the most intelligent bowlers going around. He has added a lot of variety to his bowling, with his slower ball being very deceptive. With Bumrah in the team, one need not worry about the Powerplay or the death-overs.
To partner Bumrah, I have gone for Pakistan’s Hasan Ali. The fast bowler was instrumental in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph and has gone from strength to strength since. At present, the 24-year old boasts of an astounding bowling average of 20.88. Like Bumrah, Hasan Ali also bowls the difficult overs. However, it is his ability to pick up wickets in the middle phase of the innings which gets him the start ahead of the likes of Amir and Bhuvaneshwar.
The team has a balanced fast bowling department and would be a tough nut to crack for any opposition batting line-up. Thus, the trio complete our eleven and find themselves in the Asia Cup combined XI for 2018.
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