Top 5 underdogs who can steal the Spotlight in Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023 is just a day away from starting. Barring Sri Lanka, all the other teams seem to be ready for the tournament. The island nation has been suffering from the injuries and COVID risks of many players. Some of them like Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando and Kusal Perera have been key players of the team for a long time. Their absence could be a big blow for the defending champions.

On the other hand, teams like Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh seem to be good on confidence ahead of the tournament. Pakistan and Afghanistan had good match practice before the Asia Cup, as they played a bilateral series with each other. Indian players are currently in a camp in Bengaluru and are practicing well.

Here are some of the players who can steal the spotlight in Asia Cup 2023 rather unexpectedly -

5. Taskin Ahmed 

Taskin Ahmed (Source: Twitter)

The Bangladeshi pacer has been very good in ODIs in the last few months. Since 2022, Ahmed has turned out to be one of the best pacers for Bangladesh. In 16 matches in the period, Ahmed has claimed 26 wickets at a bowling average of 24.69, at an economy of 4.79, at a bowling strike rate of 30.92, including a 5-wicket haul. The 28-year-old played a key role in Bangladesh’s series win against South Africa in 2022.

The right-arm quick bowler has been in good form. The performances of the Dhaka-born bowler have given good confidence to Bangladesh. The fact that Ahmed has been able to be the leader of the attack has been a big positive for the team. Ahmed has bowled well against top teams, which is a big positive for Bangladesh ahead of the Asia Cup. Ahmed can have a good season with the ball.

4. Fazalhaq Farooqi 

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Source: Twitter)

Afghanistan is known for its ability to produce quality spin bowlers. Farooqi is one of the rare talents from Afghanistan who has risen as a pacer. The 22-year-old has had a very good start to his international career, particularly in ODIs. Though the left-arm fast bowler has not been that good in death overs, especially with his precision in bowling Yorkers, Farooqi has been very good in the Powerplay overs.

The Baghlan-born bowler has been a force to reckon with. In the first 10 overs of an ODI, Farooqi can swing the ball and claim wickets. A pacer like Farooqi will be good for Afghanistan. In 19 matches in the format, Farooqi has claimed 32 wickets at a bowling average of 24.22, a bowling strike rate of just 27.19, at an economy of 5.34, including a couple of 4-wicket hauls.

3. Shadab Khan 

Shadab Khan (Source: Twitter)

The talented cricketer has undergone a massive transformation in his career. In the last couple of years, the 24-year-old has improved tremendously as a batter. Someone who used to bat at 8 or 9 in the past, can now bat at 7 and provide the balance for his team. Shadab has turned out to be a genuine Al-rounder for Pakistan in the recent past, especially in the limited-overs formats.

Since 2022, the Mianwali-born cricketer has played 11 matches and scored 287 runs at a batting average of 41.00, at a fantastic batting strike rate of 112.99, including a fifty. In the same period, Khan has claimed 11 wickets at a bowling average of 32.67, at an economy of 5.05, including a 4-wicket haul. Khan is a very good athlete and can claim tough catches, which makes him a player to watch out for.

2. Dunith Wellalage

Dunith Wellalage (Source: Twitter)

Dunith Wellalage is one such player who can help Sri Lanka with the balance ahead of the big tournaments. Sri Lanka has suffered big blows ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup. Many key players have missed out due to injuries and covid scare. With the absence of the key players, new faces must step up for Sri Lanka. Wellalage might just be the player that Sri Lanka needs right now.

In his short career till now, the youngster has been able to do much for Sri Lanka. The island nation has not groomed its assets well. But the class of Wellalage was on display in the 2022 under 19 World Cup, where the 20-year-old had performed well both as a batter and as a bowler for Sri Lanka. Wellalage was also the captain of Sri Lanka in the tournament. Someone with such skills can be handy in big tournaments.

1. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer (Source: Twitter)

Shreyas Iyer is crucial for the success of his team. The Indian team suffered from a lot of injuries lately, one being that of the Indian middle-order batter himself. Number 4 has been one of the most important batting positions in recent years. The Indian team could not have a permanent option before the 2019 ODI World Cup and it hit them big time. This time around, India has not repeated the mistakes.

The 28-year-old has been one of the best ODI batters since 2019. In the period, Iyer has played 36 matches and scored 1421 runs at a good average of 47.37, at a very good batting strike rate of 96.54, including 2 hundred and 12 fifty. Iyer is a very good fielder and is a leader by nature. As the Asia Cup tournament is set to happen in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Iyer with his fantastic play against spin can make the difference.