Asia Cup 2023: Top 5 Players to Watch out for
The Asia Cup 2023 has seen group-stage matches happening both in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Though the games in Sri Lanka have been rain-hit matches, in Pakistan the games had no interruptions.
In the limited matches that have happened, it was interesting and a pleasure to note the performances of youngsters. Despite the presence of veterans of the game, young players have stepped up to the occasion. They have delivered match-winning performances for their respective countries.
A multi-nation tournament like the Asia Cup brings the scope for these budding superstars of cricket to flourish. The Asia Cup serves as the perfect platform just before the World Cup. They can carry forward the confidence from here on. This series of matches can produce the second lot of probable Shakib Al Hasan, Virat Kohli, and Lasith Malinga kind of elite cricket stars.
In the same vein, Let's have a look at the emerging players for Asia Cup 2023:
5. Najmul Hossain Shanto
Bangladesh's new batting talent Najmul Hossain Shanto has been a revelation for his team of late. The southpaw batter was an emerging cricketer of his country. He was expected to be an excellent batting prospect, but after a series of disappointments, he's now coming into his groove.
Shanto is a solid compact top-order batter. In the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, he started off brilliantly. In the first match against Sri Lanka, he stood alone in one end and scored a gritty knock of 89. In the next match against Afghanistan, a must-win one for Bangladesh, he delivered again. This time partnering with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, he touched the three-figure mark.
With Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das (for the first phase) missing out, Najmul Shanto got a golden chance to display his performances. Unfortunately, after the second match, he got himself ruled out from the entire Asia Cup 2023 due to an injury. The severity of the injury is unknown yet and whether he'll be available for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 still remains a mystery. Even if he misses out, he has age by his side to come back into the national squad and cement his place in the future.
4. Ibrahim Zadran
Afghanistan's young talent Ibrahim Zadran has taken their batting with a storm. The opener has been scoring big scores for his team. He is a compact opening bat with a solid temperament. Though he has a lot to work on in his technical skills, he's got the right head on the shoulder.
Zadran has scored 904 runs in 18 ODI innings of as many matches. He has got the highest score by an Afghan cricketer in ODIs. It indicates the bright future of a promising career. In those 18 innings, he has eight 50+ scores which includes four hundreds and four fifties.
But Zadran has to work on his consistency as well. Being an opener, he needs to set the tone for coming batters. He has a series of single-digit scores, which could be a worrying factor. If he can provide the stability and then explode later in the innings, he can be more dangerous. However, as of now, he failed to come good in the Asia Cup as his team got ousted and failed to make it to the Super 4 round of the tournament.
3. Matheesha Pathirana
Sri Lanka's new bowling prodigy Matheesha Pathirana is having a dream run the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Starting from IPL earlier this year, where Pathirana contributed immensely to winning matches for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise. Even MS Dhoni praised his bowling skills. Now, he has got the opportunity to perform for his national side as well.
In this Asia Cup in their first match against Bangladesh, he took 4 wickets for 32 runs. His impressive bowling performance fetched Sri Lanka two points. The young seamer has been learning the art of fast bowling. He's got a raw and promising talent. Playing matches back at home can boost his confidence to make him believe that he belongs here.
Sri Lanka need to take care of Pathirana and groom him to become a lethal weapon. His unusual bowling action is quite similar to his country legend, Lasith Malinga. Likewise, he can pitch Yorkers quite well. In the absence of senior players, he has the chance to rise to the occasion and book a berth in the Lankan squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
2. Ishan Kishan
India's wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan can have a breakthrough Asia Cup for the Indian team. The southpaw who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL), was the rescue-in-chief in his team's recent clash with Pakistan. He's a regular opener in limited-overs cricket, but due to the presence of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, had to play down the order.
Against Pakistan, he took his time and built the innings quite well. It never looked him out of position. Along with Hardik, he decorated a solid partnership. He has technical flaws in his keeping but will get better with each passing day. Even in the WI series, he was awarded Player of the series.
In the remaining matches of the Asia Cup, if he can continue to deliver such match-defining knocks. India can be a force to reckon with in the World Cup. A solid lefty will solve many puzzles for Rohit Sharma in selection headache.
1. Towhid Hridoy
Bangladesh's young Towhid Hridoy is a player to watch out for. The middle order bat who just stepped into international cricket a few months back has been a cricketer with a strong temperament. Towhid has the ability to be a strong compact player.
Even India's modern great Ravi Ashwin has heaved praise for Hridoy. He's a determined character on the field. Notably. in his debut match, he ended up scoring 92 off 85 balls batting at number 5. Post that he has been a constant run-getter for the Bengal Tigers while batting at the same position. When teams like India struggle with a strong contender for middle order, Bangladesh seem to have got one. To some extent, Hridoy's strong run down the order has kept strong veteran performers like Mahmudullah Riyad out of Bangladesh's squad.
In this Asia Cup, the Super 4 match against hosts Sri Lanka saw another heroics from Hridoy's bat. In a must-win game for Bangladesh, when batters were falling apart from one end; Hridoy scored a fighting 82 off 97 balls. His gritty innings was well-appreciated by the cricket experts and fans alike. Though he couldn't finish off the match, it seems that his career has taken off.
from Cricket Appeal: The Best and Funny Appeals in Cricket History – HOWZAT!!! | CricTracker.com https://ift.tt/1ZETCJ6
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