The Asia Cup 2023 is delivering blockbuster action to cricket supporters. The second round of the group stage will conclude after the Bangladesh versus Afghanistan match at the Gaddafi Stadium. All teams are alive in the competition so far and before going to the Super Four round, all sides will look to strengthen themselves in all departments of the game.
In every marquee tournament, all quality teams carry players who can stand at the crease till the end of the game and take matches home for them. This Asia Cup edition isn’t an exception and all sides participating in the competition will also require the services of batters who have the potential to end matches in style.
Discussing more, here is the team-wise ratings of finishers
6. Nepal- Dipendra Singh Airee
Dipendra Singh Airee (Photo Source: Twitter)
Dipendra Singh Airee has been active in international cricket since 2018 and currently, he is a vital part of Nepal’s ODI (One-Day International) team due to his brilliant batting skills. The right-handed batter has scored 860 runs with a ton and three half-centuries in 51 matches in his five-year one-day career.
Airee has batted in every middle-order position from fourth to eighth. Currently, he is serving the side as a number seven batter. In the ICC World Cup Qualifier, 2023, Airee showcased his match-finishing skills against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and won the game for his side.
While chasing the target of 182, Nepal were in deep trouble as they were five down on 55. However, Airee took the matter into his own hands and stitched crucial partnerships with Gulsan Jha and Sandeep Lamichhane. In the end, Nepal pocketed the game with three wickets in hand, riding on Airee’s unbeaten 79 off 85.
5. Afghanistan- Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad Nabi. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Mohammad Nabi is the most experienced player in the current Afghanistan squad as he is the only player who has been serving the team since 2009. Riding on the veteran’s cricketing talent, Afghanistan have achieved notable success in one-day cricket. As a batter, Nabi plays in the middle order and is often expected to play the role of a match-finisher.
The 38-year-old has played the majority of ODI games at number six and seven as a batter. In his vast career, Nabi has delivered a lot of match-finishing knocks to his side with his extraordinary batting skills. This year, he played unbeaten knocks of 38 and 14 to help his side register a maiden T20 International (T20I) series victory over Pakistan.
Noting their oldest stalwart’s experience and talent, the Afghan side will want him to step up and deliver responsible innings to the side in this year’s Asia Cup competition. Batting at number six in 52 ODIs, Nabi has amassed 1052 runs with three fifties. These numbers indicate that he could be impactful as a finisher in the ongoing Asia Cup edition.
4. Bangladesh- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Mehidy Hasan Miraz. (Photo source: Twitter)
Bangladesh have inducted a lot of young talents in the last few years in ODI cricket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is one of the skilled youngsters in the current Bangla side who is capable of changing the game with stunning batting potential. Batting down the order, he has proved himself as an ideal match-finisher.
In December 2022, Miraz flaunted his match-finishing skills in the ODI match against India played at the Shere Bangla Stadium. While chasing a low total of 187, Bangladesh cricket fans lost all their hopes as their team was nine down at a score of 136. However, Mehidy held his nerves and outplayed India bowlers to take his team home with his spunky unbeaten 38 off 39.
The match-winning innings against the Men in Blue wasn’t the first time Mehidy evaded defeats for Bangladesh. Earlier in February 2022, when his team lost six wickets at a score of 45 against Afghanistan while chasing 216 in the Chittagong ODI, Miraz supported Afif Hossain and built an unbroken 174-run partnership to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The 25-year-old contributed an impressive knock of 81 off 120 to his team’s emphatic win.
3. Sri Lanka- Dasun Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka. (Photo Source: WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
Sri Lanka are the defending champions in this Asia Cup and they will look to be impactful in this edition and retain the trophy under Dasun Shanaka’s captaincy. As a lower-order batter, Shanaka possesses the potential to take quality bowling attacks to the cleaners and conclude games in his team’s favour.
In January 2023, when Sri Lanka toured India for the three-match ODI series, Shanaka showcased his mettle with the bat in the first ODI played at the Barsapara Stadium. Chasing the mammoth total of 373, all Sri Lanka batters stumbled under pressure and went back to the pavilion except for Pathum Nissanka and Shanaka.
In the end, the hosts comfortably registered a 67-run triumph but the Sri Lanka skipper exuded confidence with his bat and played a fine knock of 108 off 88. The valiant innings against the Men in Blue is a perfect precedent that the Sri Lanka skipper will don the role of a finisher for his side whenever the situation arises.
2. Pakistan- Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Shadab Khan’s responsibility is to not only reinforce Pakistan’s spin bowling unit but also provide support to his team’s batting as a lower-middle-order player. The star Pakistan player’s position is number seven as a batter so his captain Babar Azam trusts him as a finisher.
Thus far, Shadab hasn’t succeeded in taking matches home for his team in ODIs but there are several occasions when he took the game deep and helped his side gain success. In the recently concluded ODI series against Afghanistan, when Pakistan were following a huge total of 301 in the second match in Hambantota, it was Shadab who scored a rapid 48 off just 35.
His remarkable knock gave confidence to Naseem Shah, who scored 10 off just five and won the game for his team. Shadab’s aggressive batting style and 450 runs with three fifties at number seven batting spot in 19 ODIs make him a perfect player to fulfil the role of an effective finisher in the side.
1. India- Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: BCCI)
Hardik Pandya is one of the senior players of the Indian team who is expected to strengthen the team with exceptional all-round talent. As a bowler, he supports India’s pace attack while in the batting department, he serves as a middle-order batter who dominates bowlers with his fierce playing style.
Pandya’s strike rate over 100.00 in the ODI format clearly speaks about his batting calibre. The star all-rounder has batted in the lower-middle order mostly and his batting numbers are superb in the number six and seven positions. At number six, he has scored 770 runs in 22 matches at a strike rate of 102.52.
After MS Dhoni’s retirement, India were looking to get a player who could finish games as the legendary wicketkeeper batter used to. Witnessing Hardik’s performance so far, it can be said that the 29-year-old has strived to fill Dhoni’s shoes. In this Asia Cup, the Indian team will back Pandya to serve the side efficiently as a finisher.