Afghanistan won their first-ever Emerging Teams Asia Cup title after beating Sri Lanka in the final by seven wickets. Here are the breakout stars from the tournament’s sixth edition.
Sediqullah Atal (Afghanistan)
23-year-old Atal was the chief architect of Afghanistan's title-winning campaign, scoring the most runs (368) in the tournament. No other player crossed 170. What’s more remarkable is that these runs came at more than a decent strike rate of 147.79, including fifties in every outing. His scores read 83, 95*, 52, 83 and 55*, which came in the final. For his heroics, he was rewarded the Player of the Tournament.
The red-hot form has earned Atal an ODI call-up in nearly three years, having first played against Pakistan in 2021. The left-hand batter has also played six T20Is but is yet to make a mark. The upcoming ODIs against Bangladesh could well be his breakthrough moment.
Rasikh Salam (India)
Hailing from the cricketing backwaters of Jammu & Kashmir, Rasikh became the second player in 2019 to play from his state in the IPL after Parvez Rasool. Having dealt with injuries and age fraud issues, he had to wait until 2024 for a consistent run in the league.
The 2024 Emerging Teams Asia Cup was when the fast bowler announced himself on the world stage, indicating he could be a star to look out for. Rasikh emerged as the best pacer among the eight participants, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 10.33 and an economy of 7.15. The highlight of his campaign was ripping through UAE's top order with three wickets in the Powerplay.
Ripon Mondol (Bangladesh)
Ripon, 21, is another addition to Bangladesh’s ever-evolving assembly line of pacers. The right-arm fast bowler was close on Rasikh’s heels, finishing with eight wickets from three outings – one match fewer than Rasikh’s – at 10.75 and 7.16. His best of 4-24 came against Hong Kong.
Ripon first shot to fame in the 2022 U19 T20 World Cup when his 14 wickets (the third most) that year earned him a place as the only Bangladesh representative in ICC’s Most Valuable Team of the Tournament. His exploits in the continental competition are promising signs for his country’s future.
Gary Kirsten’s resignation marks the fourth full-time head coach change for Pakistan’s white-ball team in just three years.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 28, 2024
Curious who managed the longest run as the head coach 🤔
Check here ➡️ https://t.co/ECqF6Eti3x pic.twitter.com/AYXv4UUew0
Ramandeep Singh (India)
Ramandeep has slowly carved out a niche as an explosive middle-order batter besides being a live wire on the field, first in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and now in the recently concluded event. Against Pakistan Shaheens, he played a match-winning 11-ball 17-run cameo in a thrilling contest.
His most notable contribution came in the semi-final against Afghanistan, where he struck a blistering fifty, coming in at No.6 with India at 80-4 while chasing 206. His 64 off 34, including eight fours and two sixes, ultimately went in vain as India lost by 20 runs. However, it wasn’t a total waste as he received his maiden India call-up in the T20I series against South Africa.
Sufiyan Muqeem (Pakistan)
Muqeem has been one of Pakistan’s finds in the tournament during their semi-final finish. The ability to bowl left-arm wrist spin is what sets him apart from the rest. He controlled the middle overs, often strangling the opposition with his craft. His miserly economy of 5.80 is a testament to that. Pakistan’s spin bowling has lacked vigour in recent World Cups and Muqeem’s rise could be a solution to their lingering problem.
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