The Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the One-Day International (ODI) format from August 30 to September 17, 2023. This time, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will jointly host the tournament. Of the six teams, five have declared their squads for the competition while Sri Lanka are the only side who are yet to reveal their 17-member team.
In five sides, there are plenty of young players who would look to perform exceptionally in the continental tournament and reserve their spots in their respective teams for the 2023 World Cup to be played in India, this year. For these youngsters, it’s a golden opportunity to showcase their mettle and punch their tickets for India to play the marquee ODI event.
Here are the teamwise youngest players of the 2023 Asia Cup
6. Bangladesh : Shoriful Islam - 22 years 70 days
Bangladesh will look to showcase their mettle again in the continental tournament. In the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup which was played in the ODI format, the Bangla side concluded their campaign as runners-up. This time, Bangladesh fans are keeping their expectations high from their team.
In their 17-member squad, Bangladesh have inducted youngsters such as Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Among all these players, Shoriful is the youngest one whose age is 22 years and 70 days. The left-arm pacer broke into the ODI cricket against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in May 2021.
Serving his team since 2021, he has claimed 26 wickets in 17 ODIs at an economy of 5.57. This year, the speedster has taken seven wickets in three ODIs at an economy of 5.43. Noting his current form, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan might give him the task of assisting Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed to reinforce the teams’ pace attack.
5. India : Tilak Varma - 20 years, 295 days
Indian fans were eagerly waiting to know the names of players who will go to Sri Lanka to play in the Asia Cup 2023. On August 21, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, Ajit Agarkar, and India skipper Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference and revealed the 17-member team for the continental tournament.
Hyderabad player Tilak Varma also earned a spot in the squad on the back of his brilliant performance in IPL as well as the national team. The southpaw notched up 343 runs for Mumbai Indians (MI) in 11 matches at a magnificent strike rate of 164.11. In List A cricket, Varma has scored 1236 runs with five tons and five fifties in 25 matches.
The 20-year-old went to the West Indies and Ireland with Team India as well. In the five-match T20 International (T20I) series against the Windies team, he ended up as the highest run-scorer for India with 173 runs with a half-century in five matches, at an impressive average of 57.66. Noting his efficiency in the Caribbean islands, selectors picked him up for the continental competition.
4. Sri Lanka : Dunith Wellalage - 20 years, 233 days
Sri Lanka will co-host this year’s Asia Cup, along with Pakistan and Dasun Shanaka and his side's endeavours will be to grab the home advantage and retain the trophy. In the previous edition of the tournament played in the T20I format, Sri Lanka trumped huge sides India and Pakistan to win the title.
Although Sri Lanka are not the favourites to win the title, this time, Dasun Shanaka will expect his players to deliver their best and help the side perform a turnaround again. The team includes experienced faces along with youngsters who have the ability to help the team create an impact in the competition.
Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, and Maheesh Theekshana are the youngest players in the competition. Wellalage, who is only 20 years old, is the youngest among all 15 players and he will provide support to the team’s spin attack with Dushan Hemantha. The young left-arm spinner has played nine ODIs and has scalped nine wickets at an economy of 5.94.
3. Pakistan : Naseem Shah - 20 years, 196 days
Pakistan will go to the Asia Cup 2023 with confidence after blowing away Afghanistan by 3-0 in the ODI series in Sri Lanka. This time, Pakistan are top contender along with India to clinch the coveted Asia Cup trophy. The Men in Green last won the title in 2012, under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy.
Babar Azam, who is leading the side this year, will expect his boys to showcase their best so that he could have his hands on the trophy on September 17. The Pakistan team has a lot of talented youngsters in their squad who could deliver match-winning innings.
Naseem Shah, the 20-year-old player, is the youngest member of the team. The skilled paceman has done an excellent job with the ball in 2023, bagging 15 wickets in seven games at an economy of 4.78. He will be expected to support his senior colleagues Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf to strengthen Pakistan’s pace attack.
2. Afghanistan : Noor Ahmad - 18 years, 239 days
Afghanistan announced their 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2023 after their humiliating defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the three-match ODI series. Noor Ahmad, the 18-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, might be seen bolstering Afghanistan’s spin attack along with Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Noor made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in November 2022. So far, he has appeared in three ODIs, in which he picked up two wickets at an economy of 7.42. In the recently concluded series against Pakistan, the youngster didn’t get a chance to play any matches but he might be seen in action in the Asia Cup.
Noor has played a lot of league cricket this year and he looked confident with the ball. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, he took 16 wickets for Gujarat Titans (GT) in 13 matches at an economy of 7.82. He also played for Dambulla Aura in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and became the leading wicket-taker for his team with 12 scalps in eight games at an economy of 7.09.
1. Nepal : Gulasan Jha - 17 years, 194 days
Nepal are heading into the Asia Cup for the very first time this year. They are placed in Group A, along with heavyweights India and Pakistan. In the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, Nepal outplayed all other teams under Rohit Paudel and became the champions after beating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the final.
Nepal has included 17-year-old Gulsan Jha in their Asia Cup 2023 squad. Back in September 2021, Gulsan became the third youngest international player to appear in ODI cricket, at the age of 15. In his two-year ODI career, Jha has added 21 wickets to his profile in 22 one-day matches at an economy of 6.23.
In 2023, the speedster has taken 13 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 5.98. Gulsan played an important role in helping his team qualify for the 2023 Asia Cup. In the final match against the UAE, he scored a scintillating half-century and guided his team to a seven-wicket win. Nepal will expect him to do wonders for them in this Asia Cup as well.
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