Milestones to watch out for ahead of India's Asia Cup campaign opener against Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India will kickstart their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday and though Men in Blue's first and foremost priority will be the trophy, there are some personal milestones worth watching out for as well. Players could be involved in upto six matches if they reach the final. That gives them plenty of game time to reach some personal milestones and boost their statistics.

Here are some milestones to watch out for ahead of India's match against Pakistan: -Rohit Sharma (10,000 ODI runs)

The next two to three months will be crucial to Rohit's legacy as a captain after fumbling in some big tournaments. His captaincy will be under scrutiny and he will be looking forward to leading from the front by firing some big runs in his best format, ODIs. He is just 163 runs away from completing 10,000 ODI runs. Currently, he has 9.837 runs in 244 matches at an average of 48.69, with 30 centuries and 48 fifties and best score of 264. He will become the sixth Indian to reach the landmark. -Virat Kohli (13,000 ODI runs, 26,000 International runs)

Making records is Virat's second nature. With the form he is in, it would not be surprising if he breaks some more in the Asia Cup. He is just 102 runs away from getting 13,000 runs in ODIs, becoming only the second Indian to do so. He is currently at 12,898 runs in 275 matches at an average of 57.32, with 46 centuries and 65 fifties, with the best score of 183. He is also 418 runs away from completing 26,000 international runs. As he chases Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar's record of 34,357 international runs, fans have eyes on every run he gets. Currently, he has 25,582 runs in 501 matches at an average of 53.63, with 76 centuries and 131 fifties and best score of 254*.

-Shubman Gill (2,000 ODI runs, 3,000 international runs) In the year 2022 and 2023, Shubman Gill has made giant strides in international cricket, especially in ODIs. He is 563 runs away from getting to 2,000 ODI runs. He has currently scored 1,437 runs in 27 ODIs at an average of 62.47, with four centuries and six fifties.

He is also racing to a 3,000-run mark in international cricket. In 56 matches, he has scored 2,707 runs at an average of 42.96, with seven centuries and 11 fifties in 71 innings. His best score is 208 against New Zealand in an ODI. -Shreyas Iyer (2,000 ODI runs)

Shreyas Iyer is India's Mr. Consistent at number four. One of the best players of spin in the world and blessed with a cool temperament, Iyer will be crucial to India's chances in Asia Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup in subcontinent conditions. In 42 matches, he has scored 1,631 runs at an average of 46.60, with two centuries and 14 fifties in 38 innings. He is just 369 runs away from reaching 2,000 ODI runs. -KL Rahul (2,000 ODI runs, 7,000 international runs)

KL Rahul will be India's designated number-five batter in the Asia Cup. Though he will miss out on two group-stage games due to a niggle, he will have four games in hand if India plays the final or three Super Four games at least. He is just 14 runs away from 2,000 ODI runs, currently at 1,986 runs in 54 matches at an average of 45.13. He has scored five centuries and 13 fifties, with the best score of 112. He is also 107 runs away from completing 7,000 international runs. In 173 matches, he has scored 6,893 runs at an average of 37.66, with 14 centuries and 48 fifties in 201 innings and a best score of 199.

-Ravindra Jadeja (6,000 international runs) India's top all-rounder has just 179 runs left to reach the 6,000 runs mark in international cricket. In 308 matches and 253 innings, he has scored 5,821 runs at an average of 33.45, with three centuries and 32 fifties and best score of 175*.

-Axar Patel (150 international wickets) This bowling all-rounder currently has 147 international wickets in 109 matches, including 50 wickets in 12 Tests, 58 scalps in 52 ODIs and 39 wickets in 45 T20Is. Just three more wickets and he will complete 150 international wickets.

Kuldeep Yadav (150 ODI wickets, 250 international wickets) This in-form spinner is nine wickets away from 150 ODI wickets, currently having 141 wickets in 84 matches. In 124 international games, he has 227 wickets. So a bumper Asia Cup with 23 or more wickets will help him touch the 250-wicket mark.

Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are in Group B. The tournament will follow a hybrid model with Pakistan hosting four matches across two venues and Sri Lanka hosting the remaining games. The six group-stage matches will be followed by the Super Fours beginning September 6. The final will be played by the top two teams at the end of the Super Fours on September 17 in Colombo.

Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.