Asia Cup 2023 is just around the corner and the excitement among the fans is increasing with every passing day. The 16th edition of the Asia Cup tournament is scheduled to start on August 30 – September 17 and will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Asia Cup 2023 will also be the first multi-country event of its sort. The tournament will be played in Pakistan for four matches, with the remaining nine matches taking place in Sri Lanka.
Here, in this article, we bring you the top 5 fastest bowlers in the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup 2023.
Check Out The Top 5 Fastest Bowlers In The Asia Cup 2023:
Matheesha Pathirana:
The 20-year-old fast bowler from Sri Lanka, Matheesha Pathirana impressed one and all with his incredible performances in the IPL 2022. Riding on his performances, he earned his maiden call-up from the selectors and made his international debut in August 2022.
One of the most exciting things to witness is Matheesha’s unorthodox bowling action, which reminds everyone of the legendary Lasith Malinga whenever he turns up on the field. Pathirana had a stellar 2023 so far as he played an instrumental role in helping Chennai Super Kings win the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. Pathirana is expected to perform well in the Asia Cup later this month.
Naseem Shah:
The 20-year-old fast bowler from Pakistan, Naseem Shah has become a sensation in the world of cricket at such a young age. After making an impressive debut for the first time at the highest level as a 16-year-old against Australia in the Brisbane Test 2019, he has been in some exceptional form with the ball.
He made his debut in the ODI format in 2022, where he picked 23 wickets in 8 games. Naseem Shah will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 tournament.
Mohammed Siraj:
India’s star bowler Mohammed Siraj has been one of the best powerplay bowlers in ODI cricket in the last couple of years. He is expected to play a big role for team India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.
After his rise in the longest format of the game in 2020 and 2021 for team India, Mohammed Siraj made his impact in the limited-overs format of the game as well. He is now one of the key links in the Indian bowling attack in the ODI team.
Siraj has taken the most number of wickets since 2022: since last year. He has picked 43 wickets in 23 ODIs at a terrific average of 18, striking every 24.6 deliveries. Of his 43 wickets since 2022, 26 wickets have come in the first 10 overs of powerplay itself. This effectively comes to at least 1 wicket in the first powerplay.
Shaheen Shah Afridi:
In recent years, Pakistan’s sensational bowler Shaheen Afridi has established himself as Pakistan’s frontline bowler across all the formats, having dismantled strong line-ups. He is phenomenal. While he is lethal early in the innings, he is equally good at the death overs.
Afridi is world No. 9 in the ODI bowlers ranking and has the skill to rattle even the legend, Kohli. Shaheen missed last year’s Asia Cup with a knee injury but has taken 30 wickets in 17 ODIs since the last World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah:
The sensational Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah needs no introduction. Famous for his unorthodox bowling action, Jasprit Bumrah quickly became the spearhead of India’s bowling attack.
Bumrah, who was out of action for nearly a year, recently returned as captain and spearhead in the series against Ireland. He took no time to take the internet by storm with his mesmerizing bowling performances. He seemed to have extended his run-up slightly and bowled well within his limit. He picked up two wickets in his first over.
The Asia Cup 2023 will mark the return of Jasprit Bumrah to ODI cricket after one year. Bumrah has amazing numbers in Asia as he has taken 63 wickets of his 121 ODI wickets in Asia at an excellent economy rate of 4.65. Interestingly, since Bumrah’s ODI debut in January 2016, no other pacer has taken more wickets in Asia.
