Asia Cup 2018: One player to watch out for from each team

The Asia Cup is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting tournaments on the cricketing calendar. Played every two years, this tournament brings Asia's best teams fighting for top honors. Played for the first time in 1984, the tournament comes back to where it all started 34 years ago - in the UAE.

With three rounds, the best team would win the tournament. But one or two individual performances could make all the difference - as proved by Sanath Jayasuriya in 2004, or by Ajantha Mendis in 2008. Let us have a look at the players who are most likely to make the difference this time around.

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Hong Kong - Aizaz Khan

Aizaz Khan led Hong Kong's attack with the ball, winning them the Asia Cup Qualifier with 10 wickets.

Aizaz Mohammad Khan, the 25-year old bowling all-rounder from Hong Kong, will try to make sure his team isn't there just to fill the numbers. Aizaz picked up ten wickets during the Asia Cup Qualifier tournament earlier this month, including a five-wicket haul against UAE in the final.

Aizaz is also a decent middle order batsman and can strike the ball long when needed. With 40 internationals already under his belt, the all rounder, whose smile reminds you of South African bowling great Morne Morkel, will certainly leave his mark on the tournament.

Afghanistan - Mohammad Shahzad

Mohammad Shahzad approach reminds you of Romesh Kaluwithrana and Sanath Jayasuriya during the 90's

If you know anything about Afghanistan cricket, you must have heard about Mohammad Shahzad. The wicket-keeper batsman opens the batting for his country and can change the course of the game in a matter of overs. He played a crucial match-winning 54 in the virtual knockout against Ireland for a World Cup berth in March, and 84 in the final of the World Cup Qualifier against West Indies - winning man-of-the-match awards in both.

Mohammad Shahzad announced himself on the world stage with a match-winning century in just his third ODI in 2010 in Sharjah, not too far away from this tournament's venue. His 214 not out while successfully chasing a target of 494 during the Intercontinental Cup match against Canada in 2010 spoke volumes of his big-match effect. If temperament is a factor, Shahzad would succeed and make sure his team causes at least a hiccup or two.

Bangladesh - Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal has been one of Bangladesh's most influential players in the last 12 years.

Bangladesh has come close to winning major tournament finals quite a lot in the last six years - be it the 2012 Asia Cup Final, the 2016 Asia Cup T20 Final or the 2018 Nidahas Trophy Final. Bangladesh is certainly one of the contenders for the tournament, and the experience of seniors such as Shakib, Mushfiqur, Mashrafe and Mahmudullah would certainly help them hold their nerve as well this time around.

Tamim scored two big centuries and one fifty in his team's ODI series win in the West Indies this July, followed by a match-winning 44-ball 74 in a T20I against the same opposition. Tamim just needs to follow the tried and tested technique of spending time at the crease and accumulating runs, an art he has mastered over the last few years.

Sri Lanka - Kusal Perera

Kusal Perera's batting style has been often compared to the great Sanath Jayasuriya.

Kusal Perera packs a punch even with his short height and Jayasuriya-like flair. With four international centuries already under his belt, Kusal's USP is his 90-plus strike rate in 75 ODI innings. Kusal can find the gaps at will and is a very good player square off the wicket.

Kusal is equally adept at attacking pace and spin. He can play ground-shots when the field is spread out and targets the shorter boundaries for sixes. He has hit a dozen match-winning innings against top-ranked teams and will look to replicate the same during the Asia Cup.

Akila Dananjaya was another contender among Sri Lankans but narrowly missed out to create a balance of bowlers and batsmen on this list.

Pakistan - Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali was the player of the tournament in last year's ICC Champions Trophy.

The 24-year old Pakistani bowler is certainly ahead of his years. Hasan Ali is one of the main factors of Pakistan's resurgence in the last one year or so. He was the player of the tournament during last year's ICC Champions Trophy, with 13 wickets in just five matches.

Hasan is a rare commodity in today's cricket, being a regular wicket-taker with a great economy rate. In UAE alone, he has taken 17 wickets in just eight matches, at 14.18 runs apiece and an economy rate of 3.79. So you understand why he is on this list.

India - Kuldeep Yadav

With 26 wickets from just 9 ODIs in South Africa and England, Kuldeep would relish the conditions in UAE.

Kuldeep Yadav, who grabbed headlines with a hattrick in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, did the same on his international debut against Australia last year. Making his Test debut in March, he took four wickets in the first innings and this was followed by a limited-overs debut a few months later.

In the year since, he has managed more than two wickets in every limited overs international he has played. He took an ODI hat-trick against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata last year. But the highlight of his career so far was 26 wickets in his first eight ODI's in South Africa and England - regions that are not typically renowned for assisting spin.

Kuldeep's unorthodox angle, combined with his ability to spin the ball square both sides and a knack for constant learning and improvement makes him a complete package. If he finds support from other bowlers, he can take wickets at will with his many variations - including subtle changes in pace. Add to that the fact that he hasn't played against most of the Asian teams, and you'd know why he is the Indian player to watch out for, this tournament.