Asia Cup is going to start on 30 August 2023. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are going to co-host this time. However, Pakistan was going to host the tournament, but the Modi regime has mixed politics into sports. Now, we are at the hybrid model where Pakistan and Sri Lanka will host 4 and 9 matches of this tournament, respectively.
Read: Asia Cup schedule PDF.
This Asia Cup will be filled with a lot of action this time. All the teams are looking good. Whether it is Afghanistan or Nepal, the players are pumped up.
Read: Asia Cup Points Table
So the real question is, who will win the trophy? Continue reading to know what our prediction is.
ACC Asia Cup Predictions – Who is going to win Asia Cup 2023?
Who will win the tournament? We are all speculating things like these from the day news started coming out on this topic. All the teams are well-versed in the art this time. Pakistan has had one of the most stable squads for a while. India is India.
Check: Asia Cup Commentary Panel
Bangladesh is in hopes of making a comeback. Sri Lanka is in good momentum after playing the world cup qualifier. Afghanistan is soaring high with players like Rashid Khan.
And Nepal has made its first entry to the tournament.
There are 6 teams, 13 matches, and 2 host countries. But there is only going to be one team who is going to rule the Asian Continent. Who will it be?
Let’s go team by team and discuss their key players and past performances in the ODI format. It will help us get a clear picture in the end.
Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the top teams in this continent. Having won the Asia Cup multiple times, it has a good track record in these conditions. They are also the hosts this time. You all already know the context; Pakistan is an unpredictable team. Mix that with the emotions of millions of fans who are furious about the hosting rights.
Related: Pakistan squad for Asia Cup
To make a rational decision, we need to see the following things.
Key players
Babar, Rizwan, and Fakhar are going to be their key batters. Especially Babar and Rizwan are in their top form. Both players will go for the kill. But the x-factor is Fakhar. You never know when he will start beating the bowlers mercilessly.
In the bowling department, fans anticipate a lot from Shaheen and Naseem. But Shadab can be that missing link in the lower order who can do some clean hitting and give Pakistan the much-needed runs.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 6 wickets |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | 79 runs |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 wickets |
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 5 wickets |
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 7 wickets |
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 26 runs |
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 102 runs |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | 47 runs |
Pakistan played all of their recent ODI matches against the Black Caps. Out of 8 ODI matches this year, they won 5. Things are looking good.
India
Team India is one of the strongest ODI sides in this tournament. They have the best players when it comes to batting. But can their bowling be up to the mark? The spin tracks will make them heavily reliant on Ashwin and Jadeja.
Check: Indian Squad for Asia Cup 2023
And that brings us to who will be the key player for the Blue Shirts.
Key players
This goes without saying; one of their key players will be Virat Kohli. He emerged as the match-winner for the national side, winning matches from crucial stages, taking the lead, and leading by example. If Virat gets a grip on the bat, there is no chance any bowler will go unscathed.
The next arsenal they have is the opener Rohit Sharma. Although much has been said about his captaincy, his batting will win you matches.
But the man you must watch out for the most is Shubham Gil. His explosive stats show that he is not going to sit idly.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | India | 67 runs |
| Sri Lanka | India | 4 wickets |
| Sri Lanka | India | 317 runs |
| New Zealand | India | 12 runs |
| New Zealand | India | 8 wickets |
| New Zealand | India | 90 runs |
| Australia | India | 5 wickets |
| Australia | Australia | 10 wickets |
| Australia | Australia | 21 runs |
| West Indies | India | 5 wickets |
| West Indies | West Indies | 6 wickets |
| West Indies | India | 200 runs |
Things are looking good for the Indian team as well. They have won against quality teams,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is going through a rough patch right now. They had to play the world cup qualifiers this time. Although they had a satisfactory performance and won the tournament easily, this isn’t what we are used to seeing from them.
Read: Sri Lanka squad for Asia Cup.
The Lankas said goodbye to many veteran players in the last decade. This has hurt them. But it seems there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Key players
Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal are one of their experienced batters right now. Their performance is crucial for the team. But they aren’t enough. It will be interesting to see how Hasaranga plays as well. With home conditions in mind, Kusal Mendis is a great addition to the team. Let’s see how things play out for the team.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| India | India | 67 runs |
| India | India | 4 wickets |
| India | India | 317 runs |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | 198 runs |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | 6 wickets |
| Afghanistan | Afghanistan | 6 wickets |
| Afghanistan | Sri Lanka | 132 runs |
| Afghanistan | Sri Lanka | 9 wickets |
| UAE | Sri Lanka | 175 runs |
| Oman | Sri Lanka | 10 wickets |
| Ireland | Sri Lanka | 133 runs |
| Scotland | Sri Lanka | 82 runs |
| Netherlands | Sri Lanka | 21 runs |
| Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | 9 wickets |
| West Indies | Sri Lanka | 8 wickets |
| Netherlands | Sri Lanka | 128 runs |
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a side that has emerged to be a decent team recently. They used to play qualifiers and were a 2nd tier team at best. But after their home tours in 2016, things have changed. But these things will revert if they do not find replacements for their veteran players.
Check: Bangladesh team for Asia Cup.
And this brings us to who will be their key players this time.
Key players
Bangladesh has a lot of players that it relies on. But they will end up like Sri Lanka if they do not find a replacement on time.
These veteran and key players in the squad are Shakib and Mushfiq. We all saw how the Bangladesh squad suffered when Shakib couldn’t play for them. His allrounder abilities have made him one of the best in the world.
Mushfiq and Litton Das are their best men regarding middle and top order, respectively. However, they will reply on spinners like Mehdi for taking wickets and controlling runs.
But things can change if Mustafizur can shift his gears and cause problems for the batters with the new ball.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| England | England | 3 wickets |
| England | England | 132 runs |
| England | Bangladesh | 50 runs |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | 183 runs |
| Ireland | no result | – |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | 10 wickets |
| Ireland | no result | – |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | 3 wickets |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | 5 runs |
| Afghanistan | Afghanistan | 17 runs |
| Afghanistan | Afghanistan | 142 runs |
| Afghanistan | Bangladesh | 7 wickets |
Afghanistan
The Afghans have emerged as the best team regarding the shorter game format. But can they produce the same results in ODIs? They are a fairly new team, and it takes some time to understand how to steer their way in a 50-overs game against the big guns like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Read: Afghanistan team for Asia Cup.
Key players
Afghanistan has to count on the best of the best regarding the game’s longer format. This means that all the burden comes on the shoulders of Rashid and Nabi. Rahmanullah Gurbaz can make contributions as well. But it all comes down to assessing the situation, which comes with experience.
Rashid is their best spinner, and he will be lethal in Asia Cupp and the world cup. Mohammad Nabi can control the runs in the middle overs. But he can take those wickets as well.
The Sunrisers boys contributed the most when their franchise won the IPL. Can they do it again.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | Afghanistan | 6 wickets |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 132 runs |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 9 wickets |
| Bangladesh | Afghanistan | 17 runs |
| Bangladesh | Afghanistan | 142 runs |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 7 wickets |
Nepal
Nepal is going to play the Asia Cup for the first time. They qualified for the spot after winning the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. Nepal has been grouped with India and Pakistan in the group stage. That tells you a lot about the competition they will face this time.
Check: Nepal team for Asia Cup.
Key players
Rohit and Kusal showed some serious talent when it came to batting. They are going to be crucial in the tournament. But when it comes to bowling, the leggie Sandeep will be lethal. We have discussed how he will be an arch nemesis for Babar and Kohli. Let’s see how things play out for him.
Recent ODI record
| Opposition | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Namibia | Nepal | 2 wickets |
| Scotland | Nepal | 3 wickets |
| Namibia | Nepal | 3 wickets |
| Scotland | Nepal | 2 wickets |
| P.N.G. | Nepal | 4 wickets |
| U.A.E. | U.A.E. | 68 runs |
| P.N.G. | Nepal | 3 wickets |
| U.A.E. | Nepal | 42 runs |
| P.N.G. | Nepal | 52 runs |
| U.A.E. | Nepal | 177 runs |
| P.N.G. | Nepal | 9 wickets |
| U.A.E. | Nepal | 9 runs |
| Oman | Nepal | 84 runs |
| U.A.E. | Nepal | 7 wickets |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 8 wickets |
| U.S.A. | Nepal | 6 wickets |
| West Indies | West Indies | 101 runs |
| Netherlands | Netherlands | 7 wickets |
| U.A.E. | Nepal | 3 wickets |
| Ireland | Ireland | 2 wickets |
Parting thoughts
Pakistan and India will be the tournament’s finalists. Sri Lanka can be a dark horse here. But how both India and Pakistan have performed in the ODI format, and how they both have bared their fans even before the Asia Cup and the World Cup have started, it is impertinent that both teams will give their all and compete for the trophy this time.
Even Rahul Dravid has said that the chances of both teams coming head-to-head thrice are high.
Choosing one team is difficult. Hence, we will keep it at the finalists for now. But we will come back and update you regarding our predictions.
Until next time, bye.