Asia Cup 2023: Best Possible Playing XI

The 16th edition of the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and is scheduled to start on 30th August. The participating teams are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. The teams will be divided into two groups of three, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals.

The defending champions are Sri Lanka, who won the tournament in 2022. However, they will be without their star batsman, Kusal Mendis, who is injured. India is the favourite to win the tournament, but they will face stiff competition from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Asian teams are known for producing some of the best cricketing talent and we have compiled a list of the best possible playing XI from the teams who are taking part in the Asia Cup 2023.

Opening Lineup

Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Litton Das

Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and Litton Das are three of the best batsmen in the world in limited-overs cricket. They are all stylish and aggressive players, and they have all scored heavily in all formats. Rohit Sharma is the most experienced of the three batsmen. He has played 244 ODIs and has scored 9837 runs at an average of 48.7 and a strike rate of 90. Babar Azam is the current number-one ranked ODI batsman in the world. 

He has played 102 ODIs and has scored 5142 runs at an average of 58.4 and a strike rate of 89.1. He is a very complete batsman, and he is equally comfortable playing in all conditions. Litton Das is the youngest of the three batsmen. He has played 72 ODIs and has scored 2213 runs at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 88.1. He is a very attacking batsman, and he is known for his ability to hit big shots.

Middle Order

Virat Kohli, Charith Asalanka, Shakib Al Hasan, Hardik Pandya

Virat Kohli, Charith Asalanka, Shakib Al Hasan, and Hardik Pandya are four of the best middle-order batsmen a team can have. Virat is known for his batting at number 3 but having Babar in the team, he can handle the things at number 4. Kohli is known for his achievements in white ball cricket and without a doubt he will make a huge impact in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. 

Charith Asalanka is the youngest of the four and has played 35 ODIs and has scored over 1093 runs at an average of 40.5 at a strike rate of 92.3. He is also a competent bowler who can do major damage to the team in the middle overs.

Hardik Pandya and Shakib Al Hasan are the two of the best allrounders in the ODIs right now. They both are competent enough to score runs and handle the role of a finisher for the team. With that, both players are equally specialized in bowling as well and can make a huge impact during the middle overs.

Bowling Lineup

Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Maheesh Theekshana, Haris Rauf

Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Maheesh Theekshana, and Haris Rauf are four of the best bowlers when it comes to the Asia Cup 2023. They are all young and talented, and they have all made a significant impact on their respective teams. Rashid Khan is an impactful spinner who, with his variations, can provide some early breakthroughs and can break the partnership at any time. Shaheen Afridi’s pace has made him one of the most ferocious bowlers in the world. 

He also has good experience of completely decimating the batters with the new ball. Maheesh Theekshana is a young member of this lineup but has made a huge impact in a short span of time. He has been part of 22 ODIs and has picked up 36 wickets at an economy of 4.34. Haris Rauf made his debut for Pakistan in 2020 and immediately became the prime attacker with Afridi. With 24 ODIs in his pocket, Rauf has picked up 44 wickets at an economy of 5.79.