Asia Cup 2018: India's 5 most important players in the tournament

The 14th edition of the Asia Cup, will be starting in UAE from 15th of September 2018. In this edition, the six best teams of Asia viz. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong will be fighting against each other for the top honours .

These six teams have been divided into two groups of three teams each.

Group A: India; Pakistan; Hong Kong

Group B: Sri Lanka ; Bangladesh; Afghanistan.

After the initial round robin matches, the top 4 teams will play each other in the Super Four. The top two teams from the Super Four will play the finals, which is scheduled on the 28th of September 2018.

The 16 member Indian ODI team for the tournament was selected on September 1, 2018. In absence of regular captain, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma will be leading the team in the tournament.

The Indian Team for the Asia Cup 2018:

Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan (VC) , KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed.

In this article we have chosen the 5 most important players of the team, whose performance in the tournament will be the key to India's success.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav: (Left Arm Chinaman Bowler)

In his short international career, Kuldeep Yadav has already shown that he is a big match winner. He has been one of the best spinners in the world in ODIs for the last two years. In just 23 matches he has already picked up 48 wickets at a staggering average of 19.35. What makes him special is his ability to pick up wickets consistently in the middle overs of an ODI, when the batsmen are not taking many risks.

He has run through the middle and lower middle order of top teams in the world. If he can do so in the Asia Cup also, then it would help India to restrict the opposition to low totals and win the matches easily. So Kuldeep's performance will be key to India's success in the tournament.

#4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni : (Wicket Keeper Batsman)

MS Dhoni's performance will have a great impact on the overall performance of India in the tournament. Being the most experienced player in the team, he will be a key player in the middle order. India's middle order has been a cause of worry for the team off late.

If Dhoni is in good form then he will be able to build partnerships with the other middle order players like Rayadu and Kedar Jadhav and take India to formidable scores. While chasing big totals, Dhoni's role will become even more important, as he is still one of the best finishers of the game. Moreover he will also be able to guide the captain Rohit Sharma in pressure situations.

#3 Jasprit Bumrah: (Right Arm Fast Bowler)

After a brilliant English tour, Jasprit Bumrah will be high on confidence going into the Asia Cup. As Bhuvneshwar Kumar is coming back after an injury layoff, Bumrah will have to step up and lead the pace bowling attack. He has been one of the best ODI bowlers in the world in the last 2-3 years.

In the death overs he has been extraordinary. Even the best batsmen in the world find it hard to hit boundaries when Bumrah is bowling at the death overs. In addition to his death bowling, if Bumrah is able to pick up wickets with the new ball also, then the opposition teams will definitely find it very difficult to score enough runs against the Indian team. Hence Bumrah's form in the tournament will be very important.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan: (Opening Batsman)

After his below-par performance in England, the batting-friendly conditions of UAE will be an ideal place for Shikhar Dhawan to get his form back. He has been very successful in ODIs over the last few seasons, especially in subcontinental conditions. His partnership with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order will be key to India's success in the tournament.

If he is able to score big hundreds at the top of the order, then India will find it easier to get formidable scores and chase down big totals. If Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are able to stitch big opening partnerships, then it will also prevent the fragile Indian middle order from getting exposed to the new ball. Hence Dhawan is one of the most important players in the team

#1 Rohit Sharma: (Captain and Opening Batsman)

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma will have to fill in the big shoes. He is India's biggest match winner in this Asia Cup squad. He has been one of the best ODI players in the world in the last few years. Rohit Sharma needs to score big hundreds, if India has to win this tournament.

His ability to play long innings makes him a big asset. His partnership with Dhawan at the top of the order will be very important. As a captain also, Rohit needs to be at his very best, both on and off the field, in order to bring the best out of his teammates.

Hence Rohit Sharma will obviously be the most important player for India (both as a batsman and as a captain) in this Asia Cup.