Asia Cup 2018: Teams, format, squads and everything you need to know

Asian Cricket Council's premier championship Asia Cup returns for its fourteenth edition and is scheduled to run from September 15 till September 28, 2018. Unlike the previous edition, the tournament will revert back to 2006 format and feature six Asian Cricket Teams; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Format: All six teams have been divided into two groups A and B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage and the top two teams from that stage will then compete for the title in the final.

All of the Asia Cup matches will be played across two venues; Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. While In case of Team India, All matches will be played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, irrespective of their standings in Group or Super four stage.

So without much ado, Let's take an insight look on all six participating teams.

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India

India are hot favourites to win the Aisa Cup this year

Men in Blue have played nine ODIs so far this year, winning six and losing three. India is ranked second in the ICC ODI rankings and is red hot favorites in this tournament. After winning six ODI series in a row, they lost their most recent series against hosts England in July 2018. It was a three-match series which they ended up losing 1-2.

Batting: Skipper Rohit Sharma was India's best batsman after Virat Kohli in the England ODI series and in Kohli's absence the onus will be on him to score curial runs in middle order.

While Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul will perform opening duties and the team will need them to fire from the beginning. MS Dhoni is particularly one of the best finishers in the world will once take responsibility to get India through.

Bowling: Kuldeep Yadav bamboozled the English batsmen and topped the wickets charts with nine wickets in three matches and the wrist-spinner is likely to be the trump card for India in Asia Cup 2018.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal are the backbone of India's line and Kumar is expected to lead the attack from the front.

Squad : Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh 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 and K Khaleel Ahmed.

Pakistan

Pakistan is ranked fifth in the ICC ODI rankings and among top contenders for the trophy

After facing a 0-5 clean sweep at the hands of the Kiwis on their tour of New Zealand. Pakistan came back strongly as they won each of their five matches against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

While their last ODI assignment came in Zimbabwe where they whitewashed the hosts 5-0. Pakistan is ranked Fifth in the ICC ODI rankings and among top contenders for the trophy.

Batting: Fakhar Zaman was the highest run-scorer in the recent ODI series against Zimbabwe where he cracked two centuries and as many fifties in five matches and will be eager to prove his worth against the Asian giants as well.

While Shoaib Malik has scored the most runs in ODIs for Pakistan from this current squad and he is the most experienced batsman in the side. Except these two the team will also bank on the likes of skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam. All of them forms a formidable batting lineup.

Bowling: Pakistan's bowling group looks settled with the likes of Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan.

Hasan is third on the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers while leg-spinner Shadab was a pick of the lot in the Zimbabwe series with nine wickets and will be expected to take the momentum into the Asian Pinnacle tournament.

Squad : Sarfraz Ahmed (C), Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Imam ul Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Nawaz, Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Usman Shinwari and Shaheen Afridi.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong's performance graph has gone up and down in recent times

Hong Kong's performance graph has gone up and down in recent times. They lost their one-day international status soon after their disastrous campaign at the 2018 ICC World Cup Qualifier held earlier this year in Zimbabwe.

But they came back determined than ever in the Asia Cup Qualifier in Malaysia and went on to become the winners of the tournament and claim their spot in the main event.

After losing the tournament opener to the hosts, Hong Kong ended up winning all of their remaining matches except the one against Oman which got washed out. They beat Singapore, UAE and Nepal in the league stage and then pipped UAE again in the final.

Batting: Hong Kong batting will mostly rely on Skipper Anshuman Rath and former captain Babar Hayat. Rath hit a century (102) against UAE in their pool match then carried his momentum in remaining fixtures with scores of 22 against Malaysia, 52 against Nepal and 28 against UAE in the final.

While Babar, who gave up captaincy after three years because he wanted to focus on his batting, also scored a ton against UAE in the pool fixture with his 107. Except these two they will also bank on the likes of Nizakat Khan, Christopher Karten and Ehsan Khan to score big in the middle.

Bowling: Aizaz Khan has been the pick of the bowlers in the final with five wickets while Nadeem has also been impressive with three.

These two along with Tanwir Afzal forms a formidable bowling unit and the skipper will bank on these three to take wickets and trouble the opposition batsmen.

Squad : Anshuman Rath (C), Aizaz Khan, Aftab Hussain, Babar Hayat, Cameron McAuslan, Christopher Carter,Ehsan Khan, Ehsan Nawaz, Haroon Arshad, Kinchit Shah, Nadeem Ahmed, Nizakat Khan, Raag Kapur, Scott McKechnie, Tanveer Ahmed, Tanwir Afzal and Waqas Khan.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been on the rise in the international circuit

Afghanistan has played 15 one-day internationals this year out of which they have won 10 and lost five and are ranked on the No.10 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings with 62 rating points.

They won ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier held in Zimbabwe in March. While their most recent 50-overs assignment came against Ireland in Ireland last month; a three-game series which they ended up winning 2-1.

Batting: Afghanistan batting has not been up to the mark in recent ODI's as their top order failed to click on regular basis.

To have any chance of progress in the Asian pinnacle, the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmat Shah will have to score consistently throughout the tournament.

Shahzad has four centuries and 12 half-centuries in ODI's and the team will look to him each time for setting the tone of their innings.

While Nabi, the team's leading ODI run-getter and wicket-taker, has been a vital cog for them over the years and him along with skipper Asghar have rescued them from trouble on several occasions in the past.

Bowling: Rashid Khan, the World No. 2 ODI bowler, is the x-factor for Afghanistan when it comes to bowling.

While Mujeeb Ur Rahman too is making rapid strides in white-ball cricket and he is another potent threat that the opposing teams will have to counter. Both of them will look to tighten the screws in the middle overs. Expect them Aftab Alam is another bowler who could peg back Ireland with early strikes.

Squad : Asghar Afghan (C), Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsanullah Janat, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Samiullah Shenwari, Munir Ahmad, Sayed Shirzad, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Wafadar.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has five wins and three defeats from the eight ODIs they have played this year

Bangladesh has five wins and three defeats from the eight ODIs they have played this year and are ranked No.7 in the ICC ODI Rankings with 92 rating points.

Tigers emerged victorious 2-1 in their most recent three-match series against the Windies. Before that series, they lost to South Africa 0-3 before losing to Sri Lanka in the final of the home tri-series that also featured Zimbabwe.

Batting: Tamim Iqbal is their leading run-getter in ODIs and he was in superb form in the recently concluded Windies ODI series as he hit 130* in the first match, followed by 54 and 103 in the second and third ODI and is expected to begin Asia Cup campaign with same enthusiasm.

While Mushfiqur Rahim has also been among the runs in Windies with respective scores of 30, 68 and 13 in three ODI's and is considered teams most consistent run scorer.

Bowling: Shakib Al Hasan is not only one of Bangladesh's best batsmen but also one of their best bowlers. He together with skipper Mashrafe Mortaza will be the ones to watch out for with the ball.

Mashrafe Mortaza has taken the most ODI wickets for his side and he also finished as the highest wicket-taker against the Windies with seven wickets including a four-wicket haul in the opening encounter.

While Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan are two other bowlers who can fox the batsmen with their variations.

Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Hider Rony, Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque.

Sri Lanka

The Asian Islanders have not fared too well in this format in recent past, winning just one of their last eight ODI series

Sri Lanka has played ten one-day internationals so far this year out of which they have won five and lost as many. They currently occupy the eighth spot in the ICC ODI Rankings with 80 rating points.

The Asian Islanders have not fared too well in this format in recent past, winning just one of their last eight ODI series.

They played their last series against South Africa at home almost a month ago which they lost 2-3.

Prior to that, they ended up winning the tri-series in Bangladesh that also involved Zimbabwe.

Batting: The Islanders suffered a major blow ahead of the tournament when Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2018 due to a finger injury he sustained during one of the SLC T20 League matches last week.

After the confirmation of his exit the wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who was already in the standby list, has been named as his replacement.

In his absence, Sri Lanka's batting will rely mainly on the likes of Upul Tharanga and Angelo Mathews.

Tharanga has bee leading run-getter for them with 6873 runs in ODI cricket. While Mathews topped the runs charts in the recent home ODI series against South Africa.

Expect these two they will also bank on the likes of Kushal Perera and Dasun Shanaka, who played a major role in Islanders turnaround in last two ODI's against South Africa.

Bowling: With the ball, the onus will be on Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal and Dilruwan Perera to deliver the goods.

Dananjaya was the leading wicket-taker in the South Africa series with 14 wickets in five matches and the off-spinner can be very dangerous in these spin-friendly conditions.

Squad: Angelo Mathews (C), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Dilruwan Perera, Amila Aponso, Kasun Rajitha, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga and Niroshan Dickwella.