On September 5, 2023, the Asia Cup 2023 group stage came to a close, with Sri Lanka defeating Afghanistan by 2 runs in a thrilling match to secure their place in the Super 4s round of the competition.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka advanced to the Super 4s from Group B, while Afghanistan was eliminated, while India and Pakistan qualified from Group A, which saw Nepal eliminated after losing both of its matches.
In the two Group stage games, the captains of each team were in charge of directing and leading their teams. Here, we examine how well they did.
The rankings for each captain in each group for the 2023 Asia Cup are listed below.
Rohit Paudel (Nepal)- 3/10
The 20-year-old Rohit Paudel was leading the Nepali team for the first time, and it was in a significant competition like the Asia Cup 2023.
Paudel had a strong handle on the game against Pakistan in the first half when his bowlers took a few early wickets. However, as Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed opened their shoulders, it was clear that the captain was inexperienced since Nepal’s bowlers were pounded all over the Multan stadium.
In a rain-shortened match against India, he wasn’t able to accomplish much since Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill attacked the Nepal bowlers right away, and even though they produced some solid deliveries, the score they were defending was too low.
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan)- 5/10
The Afghanistan Cricket Board needs to investigate Hashmatullah Shahidi’s captaincy because the team has now dropped five straight ODIs, including the three matches against Pakistan earlier this year. Shahidi’s leadership lacks the confidence and originality necessary to have an impact.
He held back Rashid Khan against Bangladesh for an excessive amount of time while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto pummeled their bowlers, and then against Sri Lanka, when some would argue that the administrators should have informed them of the qualification requirements.
Shahidi, however, as captain, ought to have also enquired of the officials over the same and informed his middle-order hitters.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)- 6/10
The seasoned captain of the Bangladeshi team, Shakib Al Hasan, led his team to the Super 4s stage first, although his leadership left much to be desired. especially while facing Sri Lanka and defending a 165-run goal after his bowlers had taken three early wickets.
The game was subsequently taken away from Bangladesh by Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka, who won it by 5 runs.
Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka)- 6/10
One of the most reliable captains in the world right now is Dasun Shanaka. His leadership in T20Is is great, but in ODIs, he occasionally allows the game to sag, which might be problematic for his team.
He deployed his bowlers extremely well against Bangladesh, picking up wickets at regular intervals to help them keep Shakib and his team’s total to a minimum.
However, in the match against Afghanistan, his leadership skills were on full display in how he managed his team under pressure. His fielding strategies and bowling substitutions were effective, even when Rashid Khan and Najibullah Zadran appeared to be perilously near to winning the match for Afghanistan.
Rohit Sharma (India)- 6.5/10
As soon as the game against Nepal began, Rohit Sharma had a difficult day as he observed his fielders giving up simple opportunities. Then, when it appeared like Nepal would only score about 170 odd runs, Sompal Kami’s outstanding 48 propelled them to 230 runs.
As he faces challenging assignments against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in the closing stages of the Asia Cup 2023, Rohit would like to perform better.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)- 7/10
Babar Azam didn’t have much of a chance to lead his team against Nepal because they were bowled out for 104 runs in a 342 run chase, but he did it by scoring 151, the best score by a skipper in the Asia Cup competition.
With four quick wickets against India, his bowlers provided him a lot of comfort, and Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal was entirely the result of precise positioning and setup. But as Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan got going, he appeared to run out of ideas. Despite the fact that they amassed more than 100 runs together, Babar was able to end their partnership and quickly end the innings.
India
