Asia Cup 2018, Super 4s: 3 Afghanistan players who can pose a threat to India

India and Afghanistan will contest the penultimate Super 4 match of Asia Cup 2018. While Indians are undefeated in the tournament and have cemented their place in the finals, the ‘underdogs’ Afghanistan have squandered an opportunity to reach the finals. They came agonizingly close to a win in their last two encounters but faltered towards end stages of the game.

Though the upcoming match is a dead rubber, both the teams would like to put their best foot forward. While India will look to continue their dominating performance ahead of the finals, Afghanistan will look to play for pride and try to put forward a competitive performance against a quality one day side.

Let us have a look at three Afghanistan players who can pose a threat to India in their final Super 4 match.

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#3 Hashmatullah Shahidi

Shahidi has scored three consecutive 50+ scores in this year's Asia Cup

Shahidi is the third leading run-scorer in the ongoing edition of Asia Cup. In four games, he has scored 263 runs with an impressive average of 87.67. He has been immensely consistent in the tournament.

Shahidi has three 50+ scores against his name with the best of 97. Moreover, he is the only player in the ongoing tournament to score three consecutive half centuries. He has been the backbone of the Afghanistani middle order.

When wickets tumble around him at one end, he stays strong and keeps the scoreboard ticking from the other end. His only probable weakness is the strike rate at which he is getting his runs. A strike rate of 72.85 is not appealing in the modern era. However, he is getting the essential runs, which is the crucial factor in crunch situations.

#2 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb can pose a potent threat to the Indian openers

Aged just 17, Mujeeb is already rocking the cricketing world. There is a special aura around the young finger spinner. Unlike other off-break bowlers, his stock delivery is ‘Carrom Ball.’ He also has a very good googly in his arsenal.

In the ongoing Asia Cup, Mujeeb has taken wickets in his very first spell in all the four games. Since he is opening the bowling, there is a special ‘Inswing’ like drift associated with his deliveries. As a result, opening batters have struggled against him. An economy of 3.28 is a testament to his exceptional skills.

The Indian batsmen, especially the openers- Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan should play the young spinner with high caution.

#1 Rashid Khan

Rashid is a massive asset to the Afghanistan cricket team

The No.1 player in the list is a no-brainer. World’s No.2 ODI bowler and No.1 T20I bowler – Rashid Khan, the young sensation from Afghanistan is already ruling the limited-overs games around the world.

Rashid is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Asia Cup with eight wickets from four games. Also, he has an impressive economy rate of 3.61. In the batting department, he has a 50+ score in the tournament with a massive strike rate of 178.57. Overall, Rashid is a massive asset to the Afghanistan cricket team.

According to Mahmudullah, "Rashid can be the best spinner in the world, but that does not mean he is unplayable". Indian batsmen need to play smart cricket against the wrist spinner and try not to give their wicket to him.