Asia Cup 2018: 4 batsmen to watch out for

The limited overs cricketing world is about to be taken by storm as the Asian tigers are about to clash later this week. Six teams are ready to battle it out for Asian supremacy in the Asia Cup 2018.

The 14th season of the tournament will be a 50-over affair, unlike last season which was played under the T20 format. The Asia Cup is set to be held in the UAE this time and will be played at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Cricket stadiums.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup not too far down the road, each team will try their best to win the Asian title in order to get some momentum behind them. It’ll also be a great opportunity for each team to work on their combinations and lineups before the main event.

India is the reigning champion going into the tournament and currently has the strongest squad again on paper. Without Virat Kohli, it is possible that they’ll find it a bit more difficult to succeed this time as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have their eyes on the prize.

Each of the six-team has some very exciting batsmen in their squads. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at three of the batsmen that fans should look out for in this tournament.

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#4 Shakib Al Hasan

A legend in the making

Shakib Al Hasan the bowler is an artist who has single-handedly caused many batting lineups to collapse at will. Shakib Al Hasan the batsman is in a league of his own.

He’s been Bangladesh’s crisis-man as far as fans can remember, and has often led the side to incredible victories with his batting. He has a calm head and can drive the team out of trouble with ease.

Shakib is currently Bangladesh’s most experienced player and averages 35.50 with the bat. He’s an explosive batsman and is in very good form at the moment. He averages over 50 in his last seven innings which shows that he’s an asset to Bangladesh, and will be a batsman to keep an eye on in the tournament.

#3 Angelo Mathews

Mathews will be leading Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup

With Dinesh Chandimal out of the tournament with a finger injury, Angelo Mathews will be in the spotlight once again. Mathews is one of the best all-rounders around and is equally good with the bat and ball in hand.

Coming off a remarkable ODI series against South Africa where he averaged more than 78, he’ll be in good nick and can take the opposition by storm whenever he pleases. Whether it's pinch-hitting in the lower-order, or stepping up and taking control of the innings, Mathews can perform both the tasks with ease.

He’s a player to look out in any format of the game, and the upcoming Asia Cup could once again show why he is one of Sri Lanka’s finest players.

#2 Fakhar Zaman

The future of Pakistan

Former Navy sailor turned cricketing star, Fakhar Zaman is a name most Asian cricketing fans are aware of since the last Champions Trophy. In his short career, Fakhar has broken many records.

He is Pakistan’s first and only batsman to score a double-century in ODIs. Two days after achieving that feat, he became the fastest batsman in ODIs to reach 1,000 international runs.

With a mammoth average of over 76 in ODIs, and three centuries and 6 half-centuries to his name, Fakhar Zaman sure knows how to score big in One-days. His innings against India in the ICC Cricket World is an undeniable example of that.

Will Fakhar be able to continue his great form into the Asia Cup? Whether he does or not, he is one batsman that Pakistan would want to see succeed in every match and increase their chances of winning the cup. Rest assured, he will put some fireworks on display at some point in the Cup.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma will be on double duty

With Virat Kohli taking a rest, Rohit Sharma will be on double duty during the Asia Cup. He will not only be the backbone of the Indian batting lineup but also lead the India troops on the field.

This won’t be too much of a worry for the ‘Hitman’, and he is no stranger to pressure and has always handled it well. With more double centuries to his name than anyone else in international cricket, Rohit goes down as one of the best batsmen in the world today.

Even though he hasn’t been in the greatest of forms recently, there remains little doubt that he will shake off the last few performances and score big in this tournament. With the responsibility of captaining the Number 2 rated team on his shoulders, Rohit will want to succeed and prove that he is the best India’s got.