Exciting openers to watch out for in the Asia Cup

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series
Rohit Sharma is a destructive batsman at the top

Asia Cup, 2018 would involve six teams from Asia. Five of them are full-time ICC members and the winner of the Asia Qualifiers would be the sixth team.

The tournament is being held in UAE this time around. Pitches are expected to be dry and batting-friendly. This would mean that we would get to see a number of high scoring games.

Each team would rely on its openers to provide them with an explosive start. The Asian nations are blessed to have fierce opening batsmen in their line-ups.

Let us have a look at some exciting openers featuring in this Asia Cup.

#1 Rohit Sharma(India)

The swashbuckling opener from India is at his destructive best on sub-continent pitches. Rohit Sharma would enjoy batting in UAE as the conditions will favour his style of batting.

He is a fierce striker of the cricket ball and on his day he can destroy any bowling attack. Already having two double hundreds in the shorter format is a testament to his astounding ability as a top order batsman.

#2 Fakhar Zaman(Pakistan)

New Zealand v Pakistan - 2nd T20
Fakhar Zaman

This stylish batsman from Pakistan came into the reckoning after his match-winning ton against India in the final of the Champions Trophy, 2017. Fakhar Zaman is the first and the only cricketer from Pakistan to have scored a doubled hundred in ODIs.

Fakhar takes the attack to the opposition and has a penchant for scoring quick runs. In his short career of 18 matches, he averages an astounding 76 with an impressive strike rate of 101.

#3 Tamim Iqbal(Bangladesh)

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Tamim Iqbal

Tamim has always been Bangladesh's go-to man at top of the order. He is definitely one of the most exciting and stylish left-handers that Bangladesh has produced. He is a ferocious striker of the cricket ball and his straight drive down the ground is a treat to watch.

Tamim has been in phenomenal form of late and played a vital role in the T20 series win over West Indies. If Bangladesh has to go far in Asia Cup, they would expect Tamim to fire upfront.

#4 Hazratullah Zazai(Afghanistan)

MCC v Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Zazai is just 4 matches old but his exploits have garnered the attention of the cricketing world. He has featured in 3 T20s and 1 ODI till now. In the 3 T20s, he averages a whopping 58 at a healthy strike rate of 156.

Zazai along with Mohammad Shahzad will form the threatening opening pair for Afghanistan. If they provide an explosive start which they are renowned for, Afghanistan may spring a surprise or two in this Asia Cup.

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Edited by Bagawati Prasad