Asia Cup 2018: Pre-tournament XI of best players in the competition

The best cricketing nations in Asia have landed in the UAE to lock horns and prove their mettle. India will look to defend their title whereas adjoining neighbours, Pakistan (Champions Trophy 2017 Champions), Bangladesh (runners-up of Asia Cup 2016), Sri Lanka (the stubborns), Afghanistan (the underdogs) and the qualifiers Hong Kong are all set to give a stiff competition to the reigning champions.

So here we present you a lineup of the best XI players before the commencement of the tournament.

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Top order

#1 Rohit Sharma

The Hitman who is also the commander of team India in the absence of the current captain Virat Kohli is the player to watch out for. The only player in the universe to score 3 double centuries is also ranked number 4 on the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen.

When on the song, it’s almost impossible to stop him and can be one of the most destructive batsmen.

#2 Fakhar Zaman

The Karachi boy who came into limelight after scoring a huge hundred in 2017 Champions Trophy Final and made India swallow bitter fruits of defeat, is opening in our XI. By reaching the milestone of 1000 runs in just 18 innings with a double hundred and three centuries, it is almost mandatory to keep an eye on him as he can prove to be very deadly against the bowlers.

#3 Babar Azam

The new furore of Pakistani cricket has created a huge buzz in the cricket fraternity by his eminent and consistent performance for his side. Currently, he is ranked No. 2 in the ODI rankings with a marvellous average of 54.81. The man is constantly proving his worth to the team and is a guy to look forward in the tournament. He can well prove to be the linchpin of his side and steer Pakistan to victory single-handedly on his day.

Middle order

#4 Angelo Mathews

With an experience of 200 ODIs, 5000+ runs and 114 wickets in his kitty and a calm head on his shoulders, this Sri Lankan all-rounder is capable of changing the match in few overs. He can well prove to be the match decisive player by his medium pace and hard-hitting exploits with the bat.

His innings of 97 runs in his last ODI against South Africa to take his team over the line is a perfect epitome of his abilities. Given the pitches of the UAE, his medium pace, if well executed, can prove to be game-changing.

#5 MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper)

He is the most experienced player in the Asia Cup and he needs to be there for obvious reasons. Just his presence and experience will give a lot to the team. His batting average of 50+ across all positions in the middle order is enough to justify his inclusion.

His ability to rotate strike makes other players play around him. His lightening glovework behind the stumps and above-par finishing ability makes him a perfect number 5 batsman for the team. With the experience of captaining the national side for 10 years, he definitely adds the X-factor to the team.

#6 Shakib Al Hasan

He is one of the biggest cricketers Bangladesh has ever produced. It is impossible to exclude a player of his calibre from the side. He has a batting average of 35.51 and 237 wickets in just 185 innings. With luck on his side, he can single-handedly win matches for his team. Furthermore, he is also topping the charts of ODI all-rounders.

#7 Sarfraz Ahmed (captain)

The man who led his side to victory in the Champions Trophy 2017 and the person who made his mark in the world of cricket with his captaincy skills (having a win percentage of 70.83 in ODI) grabs the position of captain in our squad. With the ability to hit hard in the death overs, he can help his team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Tailenders

#8 Rashid Khan

From playing in the streets of Afghanistan to playing at the international level, Rashid has come a long way. At the age of 19, he is ranked number 2 in ODIs and 1st in T20Is which can be called as a dream beginning for his career. Having 108 wickets in just 45 innings with 4 fifers (best figure of dazzling 7 /18) with an average of 14.22, he is the go-to guy for Afghanistan in a critical situation.

#9 Kuldeep Yadav

It was just a year ago that India witnessed their very first chinaman in International cricket and from then, he is sending shock waves in all of the cricketing fraternity. He rose to number 6 in the ICC ODI Rankings by bamboozling the batsmen 48 times in his short stint of 23 matches.

In the recently concluded series against England, he took 9 wickets in 3 ODIs including his career-best figures of 6/25. He is now the strike bowler for India in middle overs. Definitely, we can bet on Kuldeep Yadav to produce some memorable moments in this Asia Cup.

#10 Hasan Ali

The Man of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy 2017 by picking 13 wickets in just 5 games in that competition, Hasan has now become the prime bowler of Pakistan. The speedster from Punjab who is ranked number 3 in ODIs (with a baffling average of 20.88) is definitely going to trouble the batsmen with his disciplined bowling skills. He has 3 fifers in just 33 innings (with best figures of 5/34).

#11 Jasprit Bumrah

India’s search for a death specialist finally ended after Bumrah rose to the scene. Consistently bowling in the 140+ range, disciplined line and length have made it difficult for the batsmen to go past Bumrah. This Gujarat lad is currently at the pinnacle of ODI bowlers’ rankings, all thanks to his 64 scalps in 37 matches.

He has a bowling average of 22.5 which is scintillating for a bowler who bowls in death overs and powerplays. This Asia Cup will also be a stern test for his opponents.