Asia Cup 2018: Best XI of the tournament

After some breathless cricketing action for two long and brilliant weeks, the Asia Cup 2018 finally came to a close. One has to accept a fact that this edition has to be the best and the most entertaining of all time considering the number of crunch games we have had to witness. The incredible rise of Afghanistan is the biggest take away without a shadow of a doubt. With some big teams like West Indies and Sri Lanka slowly losing their mettle, it’s great for the world cricket that another champion side has arrived on the biggest stage. A tournament without Virat Kohli was expected to be difficult for the Indians, but as it turned out, they managed to perform exceedingly well and won the title in the end. They were up against a rampant Bangladeshi unit, in the sumit clash and the team riding high on confidence gave them a real fight. It has been one heck of a tournament for a few individuals, but not all of them made it to the best XI of the tournament. Here are the eleven best players from the Asia Cup 2018 who played a crucial role in their side’s triumphs. 1. Shikhar Dhawan Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) The highest run-scorer of the tournament Shikhar Dhawan is certainly in a rich vein of form in white ball cricket. On difficult batting tracks, he managed to give his side good starts pretty much in every game he played. Dhawan amassed 342 runs in the five games he has played at an outstanding average of 68.40. He registered two three-figure scores against Hong Kong and Bangladesh and ensured the team got just the right kind of start on almost all occasions. Dhawan with Rohit definitely forms one of the most formidable opening pairs in world cricket at the moment. 2. Rohit Sharma (C) Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Just a few days ago, Sunil Gavaskar complimented Rohit Sharma’s skills as a captain and also compared his approach the legendary Windies cricketer Clive Lloyd. His captaincy has been one of the main reasons behind him getting a slot in this side and his contribution with the bat too has been phenomenal. With a century and two fifties, Rohit scored 317 runs in five innings at a mind-boggling average 105. The average is on the higher side as he was dismissed only thrice in the tournament. Rohit fell just a couple of runs short of a fifty in the final and got out at the right time but in the end, the foundation he laid ensured there was little pressure of the scoring rate even in the very end. 3. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) Mushfiqur Rahim. (Photo Source: Twitter) Arguably one of the prime contenders for the player of the tournament award, Mushfiqur Rahim‘s heroics in this Asia Cup would’ve become a legendary tale in his country had they crossed the final hurdle on Friday. The little genius has been Bangladesh’s mainstay with the bat. Not just the runs he scored, but the time at which he got them makes his performance very special. A century against Sri Lanka and a stupendous 99-run knock against Pakistan, both coming after a horrendous top order collapse, helped his side register priceless wins and a ticket to the final. He’s the third highest run-scorer in the tournament with 302 runs at an average of 60. 4. Shoaib Malik Shoaib Malik. (Photo Source: Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The only positive to take away from Pakistan’s dismal performance in the tournament was Shoaib Malik. He took responsibility and throughout played his part as the senior member in the side. He chipped in with crucial knocks after some top order collapses and is expected to be the sun of their batting line-up even in the 2019 World Cup. His experience came to the fore when the side was in a losing position against Afghanistan. Malik held his nerve and cashed in on the inexperience of the Afghan medium pacers. He notched 211 runs coming in at number four at an impressive average of 70.33. 5. Hashmatullah Shahidi Hashmatullah Shahidi. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Hashmatullah Shahidi missed out two sure-shot chances at scoring his maiden ODI hundred, but the Afghan will be proud of the way he batted. Afghanistan always came up with a proper plan in their bating innings, and managed to get a score in excess of 250 and on quite a lot of occasions; Shahidi had a big hand to play in the same. The youngster registered 263 runs in his first ever Asia Cup outing, which gives him a great chance to feature in the World Cup next year. He scored the most number of fifties in the tournament (3) alongside Pakistani opener Imam-ul-Haq. 6. Mahmudullah Mahmudullah Riyad. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) There was a tough fight for the finishers’ role between Mahmudullah, Mohammad Nabi, and Asif Ali, but the Bangladeshi emerged victorious quite comfortably. The first player in Bangladeshi history to score a century in a World Cup game, Mahmadullah is one of their most important players in the current setup. The all-rounder has been ever so consistent for the Tigers this campaign, registering some pretty important runs for the side coming down at number 6 and 7. He amassed 156 runs in 6 innings, which also includes a fantastic 74-run knock against Afghanistan in the Super Fours fixture. 7. Ravindra Jadeja Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja appeals successfully. (Photo Source: Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images) He arrived late on the scene, but Ravindra Jadeja ensured the world took notice of how important a player he can be. With Hardik Pandya travelling back to India, Jadeja was called upon and he gleefully accepted the opportunity with a terrific performance. He played four games and picked up 7 wickets. His spell of 4/29 against Bangladesh was one of the best spells of the tournament, which reminisced people of his good old initial days. Jadeja also played a crucial part in the team’s victory in the final. He was patient, waited for the right scoring opportunities and though he got out before the team got over the line deserves a lot of credit for his composure and an overall understanding of the situation. It was not just with the bat and ball, he added a lot of value on the field as well. 8. Rashid Khan Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) Another major contender for the player of the tournament award, Rashid Khan is escalating his status to unattainable levels right now. The all-rounder performed tremendously with the bat and ball for his side, helping them win a lot of hearts with their spirited performances in the tournament. Although they won just a single point in three Super Fours games, Afghanistan could’ve easily had 3 wins if it had not been for their inexperience. Rashid picked up 10 wickets in the tournament to go with a sensational fifty against Bangladesh in the group stages. He ended up as the joint highest wicket-taker in the tournament. 9. Mustafizur Rahman Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) Hands down the best bowler for Bangladesh in the tournament, Mustafizur’s contribution in this edition has been as pivotal as Mushfiqur Rahim’s runs. He defended 8 runs off the final over against Afghanistan and also rode past the Pakistani lineup on Wednesday to help his side reach the final. The Fizz was brilliant in the final as well and never let the Indians off the hook. The lanky, unorthodox left-arm pacer is improving with every game and after watching him bowl well with the new ball, Mortaza will feel a lot more confident. His team was the second best in the Asia Cup but Mustafizur concluded with 10 wickets to his name at a highly impressive average of 18.5. 10. Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates a wicket with teammates. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Jasprit Bumrah played four matches in the tournament, but he ensured his impact was felt. The fast bowler was rested for the games against Hong Kong and Afghanistan, but he did a tremendous job in the two games against Pakistan and the other against Bangladesh. The 24-year-old has quite an amazing future ahead of him and is being hailed as the best bowler in the death overs currently. He picked up 8 wickets in 4 matches at an outstanding average of 16. He certainly will be a key member for the Indian side in the World Cup next year. 11. Mujeeb Ur Rahman Mujeeb Ur Rahman.(Photo Source: Getty Images) There was a tough fight between Kuldeep Yadav and Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the final spot, but the Afghan wins the battle and enters this elite list. To have done such a tremendous job for his national side at the age of 17 is just mind-boggling. In 5 games, he bowled a lot of overs with the new ball and picked up some valuable wickets. He scalped 7 wickets this edition and he could’ve easily had more if not for a few missed opportunities. Although Afghanistan were knocked out before the final, they certainly are terrifying the cricketing world of what is to come in the future. For all the latest cricket news and other updates follow CricTracker.

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Asia Cup 2018: Best XI of the tournament

The incredible rise of Afghanistan is the biggest take away of the tournament without a shadow of a doubt.

8. Rashid Khan

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