Team India emerged victorious in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018 tournament featuring Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. India defeated Bangladesh in the finals of the tournament at Dubai and was unbeaten throughout the Asia Cup 2018.
This was India’s seventh Asia Cup win and first under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, who stood in for Virat Kohli. During the tournament, India also defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in both of their meetings by comprehensive margins.
It all happened due to the brilliant batting from the Indian top order and valiant efforts from the middle order. Bowlers played their own roles to the tee and took wickets when required.
Keeping those performances in mind, Team COC presents the Team India players’ ratings.
Check them out
ROHIT SHARMA 10/10 Rohit Sharma scored 317 runs at an average of 105.66 with one century and two fifties including a brilliant 48 in the finals against Bangladesh. Sharma was also brilliant with his captaincy, making flexible changes in bowling and field placing.
Sharma handled the pressure well when Bangladesh was going after the Indian bowling in the finals but was also attacking when Pakistan was under fire in both the games and picked wickets at regular intervals.
SHIKHAR DHAWAN 10/10 Shikhar Dhawan top scored in the tournament with 342 runs with two centuries and average of 68.40. Dhawan was brilliant throughout the tournament, giving India quick starts. Along with Rohit, he made sure that India didn’t lose wickets in the first ten overs of power play.
AMBATI RAYUDU 6/10 Ambati Rayudu made the most of the chances he got at no.3 and even as an opener against Afghanistan. With 175 runs in 6 games at an average of 43.75 with two half-centuries, Rayudu was brilliant in shepherding the scoring during the middle overs. He also might have become the front-runner for the no.4 spot in Team India’s World Cup plans.
DINESH KARTHIK 5/10 Dinesh Karthik made 146 runs in the 6 games he played. Though he scored runs which looked insignificant, he did the hard work of negotiating the opposition spinners during the middle overs and kept the scoreboard ticking when it was required.
KL RAHUL 4/10 KL Rahul played just one game, against Afghanistan as an opener and scored 60 runs in a tough chase. He looked assured in the game and was unlucky to not have more games under his belt in the tournament, with Rayudu and Karthik being preferred over him.
MS DHONI 4/10 MS Dhoni made just 77 runs in 4 innings he batted with a highest of 36, including a duck to his name. he looked uncomfortable against spinners and though tried to break the shackles, looked like out of form from the beginning of the tournament.
However, his wicketkeeping was top notch and he became the first Asian keeper to effect 800 dismissals in international cricket.
KEDAR JADHAV 5/10 Kedar Jadhav scored 70 runs in the tournament including a tournament winning 28* in the finals, on one leg. He also picked 6 wickets with a best of 3/23. He has almost booked his ticket to the World Cup 2019 in England, but his latest hamstring injury has paused his advancement in the limited overs team a bit.
MANISH PANDEY 1/10 Manish Pandey got one game in the tournament and he scored 8 runs in the solitary innings. With such low score, he has put his claim for the no.4 spot in some bother.
RAVINDRA JADEJA 8/10 Ravindra Jadeja only got a call-up for the Indian team because of an injury to Akshar Patel and he made the most out of that opportunity. He picked 7 wickets with a best of 4/29 against Bangladesh in super four stages and then played a couple of handy innings against Afghanistan in the tied match and against Bangladesh in the finals, which took the match to the final over.
KULDEEP YADAV 9/10
Kuldeep Yadav topped the wickets chart in the Asia Cup 2018 along with Rashid Khan and Mustafizur Rahman with 10 wickets. His best bowling was 3/45 and bowled with an economy of 4.08. He gave Rohit Sharma wickets whenever necessary and was at the top of his game.
YUZVENDRA CHAHAL 5/10 Yuzvendra Chahal had a lukewarm tournament with 6 wickets to his name with a best of 3/46 and economy of 4.47. However, he loses some significant points for his lax fielding and for dropping catches.
JASPRIT BUMRAH 10/10 Jasprit Bumrah was at the top of his game with 8 wickets in the tournament with a best of 3/37. He bowled brilliantly at the start of the innings, often getting India crucial wickets in the first 10 overs and then coming back to keep the runs down in the death overs.
BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR 7/10 We saw Bhuvneshwar Kumar back after missing the England Test series due to his back injury and in the first game against HK, he seemed to be rusty. But come Pakistan and Bhuvneshwar was back to his best, getting early wickets for India. He picked 6 wickets in the tournament with a best of 3/15, but what important was his economy of 4.19, meaning that even if he wasn’t picking wickets, he was keeping the pressure right on, for other bowlers.
DEEPAK CHAHAR 1/10 Deepak Chahar made his ODI debut and went for 37 runs in the 4 overs he bowled in his first match for a single wicket against Afghanistan. He was taken apart by Mohammad Shahzad and was taken out of the attack. It was an insignificant and a forgettable ODI debut for the talented fast bowler.
KHALEEL AHMED 6/10 Left-arm fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed picked 4 wickets with a best of 3/48 in two matches he played. Khaleel Ahmed touched speeds of 145 kmph and certainly looked like a good prospect for the future of the Indian cricket.
SIDDHARTH KAUL 0/10 Siddharth Kaul played one game against Afghanistan and gave 58 runs in his 9 overs.
SHARDUL THAKUR 0/10 Shardul Thakur played one game against HK and gave 41 runs in his 4 overs before pulling out of the tournament with a groin strain.
HARDIK PANDYA 0/10 Hardik Pandya’s tournament came to an early end after he went down with a lower back injury against Pakistan in the group stages. He is an important player for India going into the World Cup 2019 and needs to get to his fittest as soon as possible.