Asia Cup 2018: Teams, format, squads and everything you need to know

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been on the rise in the international circuit

Afghanistan has played 15 one-day internationals this year out of which they have won 10 and lost five and are ranked on the No.10 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings with 62 rating points.

They won ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier held in Zimbabwe in March. While their most recent 50-overs assignment came against Ireland in Ireland last month; a three-game series which they ended up winning 2-1.

Batting: Afghanistan batting has not been up to the mark in recent ODI's as their top order failed to click on regular basis.

To have any chance of progress in the Asian pinnacle, the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmat Shah will have to score consistently throughout the tournament.

Shahzad has four centuries and 12 half-centuries in ODI's and the team will look to him each time for setting the tone of their innings.

While Nabi, the team's leading ODI run-getter and wicket-taker, has been a vital cog for them over the years and him along with skipper Asghar have rescued them from trouble on several occasions in the past.

Bowling: Rashid Khan, the World No. 2 ODI bowler, is the x-factor for Afghanistan when it comes to bowling.

While Mujeeb Ur Rahman too is making rapid strides in white-ball cricket and he is another potent threat that the opposing teams will have to counter. Both of them will look to tighten the screws in the middle overs. Expect them Aftab Alam is another bowler who could peg back Ireland with early strikes.

Squad : Asghar Afghan (C), Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsanullah Janat, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Samiullah Shenwari, Munir Ahmad, Sayed Shirzad, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Wafadar.