Decoding Team Afghanistan's stats in Asia Cup
The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, which will be played in the ODI format, gets underway on August 30. The tournament will be staged in a hybrid model with four games in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka. Though Afghanistan are not among the favorites to taste the glory, they cannot be written off. Here we decode Team Afghanistan's stats at Asia Cup.
Their numbers in Asia Cup (ODIs)
Afghanistan made their Asia Cup debut in 2014. They hence have featured in just two past ODI editions of the continental tournament. While they managed just one win in four outings in 2014, they won two of their five matches in 2018. Their game against India in the 2018 edition resulted in a thrilling tie. That remains the only tied game in Asia Cup.
Afghanistan's top performers at the event (ODIs)
With 308 runs, Mohammad Shahzad is Afghanistan's highest run-getter in ODI editions of the Asia Cup. Asghar Afghan (277) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (263) are the other Afghanistan batters with 200-plus runs in this regard. Rashid Khan's tally of 10 wickets in five games is the most for an Afghanistan bowler at the event. Mohammad Nabi (9) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (7) trail him.
Pakistan's record in T20 editions of the Asia Cup
Two editions of the Asia Cup have been played in the T20 format, in 2016 and 2022. While the Afghan side could not clear the qualifying round in the 2016 edition, they won two of their five games last year. One of Afghanistan's victories last year came against eventual champions Sri Lanka. The other one was recorded versus Bangladesh.
Afghanistan's top performers in T20 Asia Cup
Ibrahim Zadran is Afghanistan's leading run-scorer in T20 editions of the Asia Cup, having mustered 196 runs at 65.33. Najibullah Zadran has slammed 176 at a remarkable strike rate of 157.14 in this regard. Rashid unsurprisingly leads the wicket-taking chart among Afghanistan bowlers with 11 wickets (ER: 6.51). Mujeeb and Nabi trail him with seven wickets apiece.
