Asia Cup 2023: 5 all-rounders to watch out for
What's the story
The 2023 Asia Cup is the next prominent event in the international cricket calendar.
The continental event, which will be played in the ODI format, gets underway on August 30.
As a hybrid model will be followed, four games will be staged in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka.
Here we look at the all-rounders to watch out for at the event.
#1
Shakib Al Hasan - Bangladesh
With Tamim Iqbal stepping down, Shakib Al Hasan is in line to come Bangladesh's next ODI skipper.
He is among the most successful all-rounders across formats.
Moreover, the southpaw, who owns over 7,000 runs and 300-plus wickets in ODIs, boasts a plethora of experience.
In 11 ODIs this year, he has smoked 376 runs at 37.60. The tally also includes 11 wickets (ER: 4.35).
#2
Ravindra Jadeja - India
The term "three-dimensional player" is synonymous with Ravindra Jadeja, who is a formidable force across all departments.
He can dry up the run flow in the middle overs besides scoring crucial runs lower down the order.
Moreover, his fielding skills are second to none.
With 19 wickets in 14 games, he is India's second-highest wicket-taker in Asia Cup (ODIs). The tally includes a half-century.
#3
Hardik Pandya - India
Another Indian on this list is Hardik Pandya, the vice-captain of India's white-ball teams.
He has been brilliant since his comeback from injury last year. The dasher is among the finest finishers going around and his knack of taking wickets makes him an even greater asset.
In 11 ODI appearances since 2022, Pandya has scored 280 runs at 31.11 besides scalping 10 wickets.
#4
Rashid Khan - Afghanistan
Rashid Khan's bowling skills are enough to earn him a spot in any white-ball team XI across the globe.
His batting prowess is the icing on the cake. The Afghanistan spinner's bowling average of 18.52 is the best among bowlers with at least 50 wickets in the international 50-over format (only full-member team players).
His ODI batting strike rate since 2021 reads 128.10.
#5
Shadab Khan - Pakistan
Team Pakistan's vice-captain in ODI cricket, Shadab Khan is truly a utility player.
His leg-spin bowling can be a nightmare for batters in the middle overs as his economy rate in overs between 11 and 40 reads 5.05.
56 of his 73 ODI wickets have come in this phase. 121.51 reads his batting strike rate in the final 10 overs in ODIs.