The Asia Cup cricket tournament has a rich history of showcasing talent from some of the most cricket-loving nations on the continent. One of the defining features of this tournament is the inclusion of young and emerging players alongside seasoned veterans.
Sharing the dressing room with experienced players exposes young talents to valuable insights and mentorship. They can learn about strategies, handling pressure situations, and maintaining composure under the guidance of senior players.
Fresh talent injects enthusiasm and energy into teams. Their hunger to prove themselves can inspire the entire squad, fostering a competitive environment that pushes everyone to perform at their best. Here is a list of 5 young players who will be part of the Asia Cup 2023.
1) Shubman Gill – India (23 Years)
Shubman Gill is a technically sound batsman who has a good eye for picking up deliveries. He is also very good at playing the pull shot and the hook shot, which makes him a dangerous batsman against pace bowlers.
He has also shown the ability to play spin well, a rare quality for an opening batsman. Since his debut in the ODI format in 2019, Gill has been part of 27 ODIs and has scored 1437 runs at an average of 62.5 and a strike rate of 104. His performance in ODI includes 6 fifties and 4 hundreds.
2) Shoriful Islam – Bangladesh (22 Years)
Shoriful Islam is a young Bangladeshi cricketer who has been making waves in the ODI format. He made his debut in 2021 and has since taken 27 wickets in 18innings, at an average of 26.4 while maintaining his economy at 5.57.
He is the second-highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in ODIs since his debut, behind Mustafizur Rahman. Islam has been a consistent performer for Bangladesh in ODI cricket, and he is seen as one of the future stars of the team.
He is still young and has a lot of room to improve, but he has all the tools to be a great bowler at the highest level.
3) Tilak Varma – India (20 Years)
The recent player to make his debut for Team India is 20-year-old Tilak Varma. He has not yet made his debut in the ODI format but BCCI has named him for the Asia Cup squad.
Varma was spotlighted while playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League for two seasons. Because of his consecutive performance, Varma made his debut in the T20 format in 2023 and scored 174 in 7 T20i at an average of 34.8 and a strike rate of 144.5.
4) Noor Ahmad – Afghanistan (20 Years)
The recent addition to the Afghanistan squad is 20-year-old Noor Ahmad. Ahmad is a left-arm wrist spinner who bowls with a lot of variations. He is also very accurate, which makes him a difficult bowler to face.
Ahmad has been particularly effective against right-handed batsmen and has picked up 2 wickets in 3 ODIs at an economy of 7.42. Noor Ahmad will be getting chances to showcase his talent in the Asia Cup and will be a valuable player for the team.
5) Gulsan Jha – Nepal (17 Years)
The youngest cricketer of the whole tournament, Gulshan Jha, is part of the Nepal team. At this young age, Jha has been part of 23 ODIs and has picked up 21 wickets at an average of 34.7 and an economy of 6.32.
Nepal will be playing their first ever Asia Cup and it will be an integrating opportunity for the 17-year-old Nepalese cricketer.
