![[L-R] Rohit Paudel (Nepal), Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Rohit Sharma (India), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan): Captains of all six teams in Asia Cup 2023.](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2023-08/30/full/1693379050-456.jpg?im=FeatureCrop,size=(826,465) "[L-R] Rohit Paudel (Nepal), Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Rohit Sharma (India), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan): Captains of all six teams in Asia Cup 2023.")
Asia Cup 2023 will kick start on August 30 with Pakistan hosting Nepal in the first match of the continental tournament. India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are the other four teams competing in the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka won the 2022 Asia Cup tournament played in T20 format. Asia Cup 2023 will mark the return of the ODI format, preceding the 50-over World Cup.
Here's how all six teams stack up in Asia Cup 2023:
India cricket team
India squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (unavailable for first two matches), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve)
India squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (unavailable for first two matches), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve)
ODI rankings: 3
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Key players to watch out for: Virat Kohli (batter), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Jasprit Bumrah (pacer), Kuldeep Yadav (Spinner)
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India's Asia Cup achievements:
India won Asia Cup in 1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2018 (50-over) and 2016 (T20)
Pakistan cricket team
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).
ODI ranking: 1
Captain: Babar Azam
Key players to watch out: Babar Azam (batter), Shaheen Shah Afridi (left-arm pacer), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper batter), Shadab Khan (spin-bowling all-rounder)
Pakistan's Asia Cup achievements:
Won 2000, 2012 (both 50-over format)
Bangladesh cricket team
Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup 2023: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Anamul Haque Bijoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Naim Sheikh, Shamim Hossain, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
ODI ranking: 7
Captain: Shakib Al Hasan
Key players to watch out: Shakib Al Hasan (batting all-rounder), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper-batter), Mehidy Hasan (all-rounder)
Bangladesh Asia Cup achievements:
Runners-up in 2012, 2018 (50-over)
Runners-up in 2016 (T20 format)
Sri Lanka cricket team
Sri Lanka squad for Asia Cup 2023: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanaka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis (vc), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan.
ODI ranking: 8
Captain: Dasun Shanaka
Key players to watch out: Kusal Mendis (Opener), Dhananjaya de Silva (all-rounder)
Sri Lanka Asia Cup achievements:
Winners: 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 (ODI format) and 2022 (T20 format)
Afghanistan cricket team
Afghanistan Asia Cup 2023 squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Suliman Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
ODI ranking: 9
Captain: Hasmatullah Shahidi
Key players to watch out: Rashid Khan (leg-spinner), Mohammad Nabi (All-rounder), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (off-spinner)
Afghanistan Asia Cup achievements:
Super Four finish 2018 (50-over), 2022 (T20)
Nepal cricket team
Nepal Asia Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud
Nepal Asia Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud
Nepal ODI rankings: 15
Nepal Captain: Rohit Paudel
Key players to watch out: Aarif Sheikh (batter), Sandeep Lamichhane (leg-spinner), Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper-batter)
Asia Cup best performance: This is the first time Nepal participating in the continental tournament .
