With the 16th edition of the Asia Cup begins tomorrow on Wednesday, we will take a quick review of the Asia Cup 2023 Squads while predicting the best eleven that they will play.
At the same time, as we did in our preview blog of previewing the whole tournament.
Asia Cup 2023 Squads: All team’s squads and XIs
Pakistan
- Babar Azam (C)
- Shadab Khan (VC)
- Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Faheem Ashraf
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Haris
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Mohammad Wasim
- Naseem Shah
- Saud Shakeel
- Salman Ali Agha
- Shaheen Afridi
- Usama Mir
Pakistan announced their 17-men squad for the Asia Cup on August 9. Tayyab Tahir, who was originally in the main 17, was swapped with Saud Shakeel during the Afghanistan ODI series.
Babar Azam will likely go with three pacers and two spinners option for the tournament with the top four unlikely to be changed. However, there will be an option to choose between Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed.
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam ul-Haq
- Babar Azam (C)
- Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
- Saud Shakeel
- Agha Salman
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Shaheen Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Haris Rauf
Also read: Is this Pakistan’s best chance to win the 2023 World Cup?
Sri Lanka
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Kusal Mendis (VC, WK)
- Pathum Nissanka
- Dimuth Karunaratne
- Kusal Perera
- Charith Asalanka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Dunith Wellalage
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Kasun Rajitha
- Dushan Hemantha
- Binura Fernando
- Pramod Madushan
Sri Lanka suffered a massive blow to their squad. Star bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Lahiru Kumara all due to injury. Hasaranga will be a big miss given his spin-bowling excellence in his own home.
Seamers Binura Fernando and Pramod Madushan, a Legspin-bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha and Kusal Perera, who last played two years ago, replaced them. It will be a bit of a headache for the Lankan management but this is what they could possibly go with;
- Pathum Nissanka
- Dimuth Karunaratne
- Kusal Mendis (WK)
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Charith Asalanka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Dushan Hemantha
- Binura Fernando
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Kasun Rajitha
India
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Hardik Pandya (VC)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Shubman Gill
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Ishan Kishan (WK)
- Prasidh Krishna
- Virat Kohli
- Axar Patel
- KL Rahul
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohammed Siraj
- Shardul Thakur
- Tilak Varma
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Suryakumar Yadav
The seven-time winner of the Asia Cup have also dealt with a recent blow. Although it is not a big one as KL Rahul has only been ruled out of the first round. He is expected to play the Super 4 round should India qualify. Ishan Kishan will get a game in the meantime.
India will keep the mix of the Jadeja-Kuldeep pair while Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack along with Siraj and Shami.
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Ishan Kishan (WK)
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammad Shami
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammad Siraj
- Shardul Thakur
Afghanistan
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (C)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Riaz Hassan
- Rahmat Shah
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi
- Ikram Alikhil (WK)
- Rashid Khan
- Gulbadin Naib
- Karim Janat
- Abdul Rahman
- Sharafuddin Ashraf
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Noor Ahmad
- Mohammad Saleem
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
They recently lost 3-0 to Pakistan but they showed some promising performances. They are the underdogs of the Asia Cup and they will be looking to bag the title.
The majority of the squad is the same as their last series, but Afghanistan sprung in a surprise inclusion of Karim Janat. He last played his only ODI six years ago. Najibullah Zadran, who missed the previous series due to injury, is also back.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Ikram Alikhil (WK)
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (C)
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib
- Rashid Khan
- Karim Janat
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Bangladesh
- Shakib Al Hasan (C)
- Litton Das
- Tanzid Hasan
- Najmul Hossain Shanto
- Towhid Hridoy
- Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)
- Mehidy Hasan
- Taskin Ahmed
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Hasan Mahmud
- Mahedi Hasan
- Nasum Ahmed
- Shamim Hossain
- Afif Hossain
- Shoriful Islam
- Tanzim Hasan Sakib
- Mohammad Naim
Tamim Iqbal was ruled out due to a back injury. In his place comes a 22-year-old Tanzid Hasan. Batter Shamim Hossain, allrounder Mahedi Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed were recalled to the 17-man squad for the Asia Cup.
Bangladesh will go with a mix of youth and experience as they eye their maiden Asia Cup title.
- Litton Das
- Tanzid Hasan
- Najmul Hossain Shanto
- Shakib Al Hasan (C)
- Towhid Hridoy
- Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)
- Mehidy Hasan
- Taskin Ahmed
- Afif Hossain
- Shoriful Islam
- Mustafizur Rahman
Nepal
- Rohit Paudel (C)
- Aasif Sheikh (WK)
- Dipendra Singh Airee
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Mousom Dhakal
- Pratis GC
- Gulshan Jha
- Sundeep Jora
- Karan KC
- Sompal Kami
- Sandeep Lamichhane
- Kishor Mahato
- Kushal Malla
- Lalit Rajbanshi
- Aarif Sheikh
- Arjun Saud (WK)
- Bhim Sharki
A big chance for the Nepali team to cause an upset and announce their cricket to the world, despite low chances. They were unbeaten in the ACC Premier Cup 2023, a tournament that acted as a qualifier for this tournament and will be looking to put on a strong show.
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Aasif Sheikh (WK)
- Bhim Sharki
- Rohit Paudel (C)
- Kushal Malla
- Dipendra Singh Airee
- Aarif Sheikh
- Gulshan Jha
- Karan KC
- Sandeep Lamichhane
- Lalit Rajbanshi
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