Skip to main content

From Pakistan To Nepal: Asia Cup 2023 Line-Up

Six nations will compete for cricket's Asia Cup from Wednesday, co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Won by Sri Lanka a year ago over the T20 format, this year the Asia Cup reverts to 50 overs. It is also a final chance for Asia's cricketing giants to size each other up before October's World Cup in India. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Four with the leading two in the standings contesting the final in Colombo on September 17.

Here's how the tournament shapes up:

Group A

Pakistan 

The top-ranked team are co-hosts with Sri Lanka after a hybrid model was agreed because of India refusing to play in Pakistan.

Pakistan, who rose to world number one after sweeping Afghanistan 3-0 last week, will stage four matches with the remaining nine, including the final in Sri Lanka.

ODI ranking: 1

Captain: Babar Azam

Key players: Babar Azam (batsman), Shaheen Shah Afridi (left-arm fast bowler), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper-batsman)

Asia Cup best: Winners 2000, 2012 (both 50-over) 

India

The cricketing powerhouse have won more Asia Cups than anyone and enter the tournament as favourites as they go for an eighth title.

ODI ranking: 3

Captain: Rohit Sharma

Key players: Virat Kohli (batsman), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Jasprit Bumrah (fast bowler)

Asia Cup best: Winners 1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2018 (50-over) and 2016 (T20).

Nepal

Making their debut, Nepal face a baptism of fire against India and Pakistan. Reached the World Cup qualifiers earlier this year, but failed to qualify for the 50-over showpiece.

ODI ranking: 15

Captain: Rohit Paudel

Key players: Aarif Sheikh (batsman), Paudel (batting all-rounder), Sandeep Lamichhane (leg-spinner), Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper-batsman)

Asia Cup best: Debut 2023

Group B

Bangladesh 

-- The Bangla Tigers have made it to three Asia Cup finals without winning and have had a difficult build-up with captain Tamim Iqbal and missing the tournament with a back injury.

ODI ranking: 7

Captain: Shakib Al Hasan

Key players: Shakib Al Hasan (batting all-rounder), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper-batsman), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (all-rounder)

Asia Cup best: Runner-uo (50-over) 2012, 2018, (T20) 2016 

Sri Lanka

-- The co-hosts have been a force in the tournament, lifting the trophy six times. They triumphed last year in Dubai, when the Asia Cup was played as a Twenty20 tournament, but have been hit by injuries for this edition.

ODI ranking: 8

Captain: Dasun Shanaka

Key players: Kusal Mendis (opener), Dhananjaya de Silva (all-rounder)

Asia Cup best: Winners (50-over) 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, and (T20) 2022

Afghanistan

-- On their Asia Cup debut in 2014, Afghanistan won their second match against Bangladesh and with their potent spin attack can on their day pose a threat to the top teams.

ODI ranking: 9

Captain: Hasmatullah Shahidi

Key players: Rashid Khan (leg-spinner), Mohammad Nabi (all-rounder), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (off-spinner)

Asia Cup best: Super Four 2018 (50-over), 2022 (T20)

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



from NDTV Sports-Cricket
https://ift.tt/UTFaHmr

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.

Popular posts from this blog

भास्कर LIVE अपडेट्स:पीएम मोदी आज एक, दो, पांच, 10 और 20 रुपयों सिक्कों की नई श्रृंखला जारी करेंगे, 'आइकॉनिक वीक' का उद्घाटन भी होगा https://ift.tt/p51EuCN

from देश | दैनिक भास्कर https://ift.tt/9gqVoe0
Post a Comment
Read more

Sanju Samson's Act Minutes After T20 World Cup Selection Wins Hearts

April 8, 2008. Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match. That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a town in central Kerala, changed his heart. Forever. Sanju reshuffled his career dream, from wanting to become a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top-flight cricketer. "Sanju always recollects that day, which gave him the dream of reaching that league of top players one day," said former Kerala player Raiphi Vincent Gomez, also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batter. But merely having a dream will not take anyone to the top of their profession, more so in sports. Sanju then had oodles of determination too to walk down his chosen path. Biju George, the former India women's cricket team's fielding coach and the early mentor of the Kerala player, saw that brightly flickering flame inside...
Post a Comment
Read more

"We Talk About Kohli, Babar But...": Akram's Ultimate Praise For Rohit

India captain Rohit Sharma has made the Cricket World Cup 2023 his own, giving the team excellent starts right at the start of the innings, no matter which bowling attack he came across. Rohit's exploits at the top have played a big role in India's superlative show in the World Cup. In fact, Pakistan greats Wasim Akram and Shoaib Malik even pointed out what separates Rohit from other top stars like Virat Kohli , Joe Root , Kane Williamson and Babar Azam . Akram and Malik, in a chat on A-Sports, didn't shy away from highlighting how different Rohit is from the rest, suggesting the India skipper doesn't spare any bowler from his wrath. "There's no player like Rohit Sharma in international cricket. We talk about Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Babar Azam but this guy is different. He makes batting look so easy no matter what the opposition or bowling attack," said Akram. "He's a kind of batter who will hit all five opposition bowler...
Post a Comment
Read more