There are two things Rohit Sharma, third from left, has demonstrated this year: one is his ability to dominate any bowling attack in any given conditions in limited-overs cricket; and the other is leading the Indian team ably in the absence of Virat Kohli. Rohit's crowning achievement this year was leading India to the Asia Cup title in the UAE. And in the unlikely event Kohli, who plays a lot of cricket all year round, decides that he has too much on his plate, Rohit can easily slip into full-time captaincy duties. AFP
2018 has been a great year for India captain Virat Kohli as far as batting is concerned. Not only has he topped the ICC batsmen's rankings in Tests and one-day internationals, he also reached 10,000 runs in ODIs this year. He also made a breakthrough with the bat against the likes of James Anderson on India's Test tour of England. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
Australia have three top-class fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Yet, it is off-spinner Nathan Lyon who has emerged as his Test side's strike bowler. At 31, he is peaking and has performed brilliantly all over the world. He has even succeeded against the Indian batsmen, who are famed for their innate ability to play spin. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
One of the many positives for the England Test side has been leg-spinner Adil Rashid's emergence as their No 1 spinner. His rise is timely given that England have been in search of a long-term replacement for the now-retired Graeme Swann. Rashid's stock has risen so much that the national selectors were eager to pick him for Tests despite his opting out of playing English county's four-day competition so he could focus on his limited-overs career. Gareth Copley / Getty Images
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson's stupendous performance with the bat against Pakistan in the UAE last month alone would be enough for him to be in this list. That he also led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League final is a bonus, even though his side were beaten by much-too-strong Chennai Super Kings at the last hurdle. Williamson's image as the humble captain comes as a breath of fresh air at a time when more players are getting into trouble for their poor attitude on and off the field. Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
UAE cricket has seen its stock rise even further, with the Emirates being chosen as the venue to stage high-profile tournaments, such as the Asia Cup, as well as the ever growing number of franchise competitions, including the Afghanistan Premier League, the Abu Dhabi T20 and the T10 League. The national team have performed well, too, while their players are attracting attention from leagues around the world - such as the ones in Nepal and Canada. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Just 18 years old, Sandeep Lamichhane is already much sought after by franchises all over the world. Just this year the Nepal leg-spinner has played in the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Global T20 Canada, Afghanistan Premier League, Australia's Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League, the T10 League and of course, the Everest Premier League in Nepal. This is aside from representing his national team who he almost helped qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images
England's Joe Root has endured an up and down year with the bat, but he has come of age as the leader of the national Test side. The manner in which he captained England to Test series victories at home against India and away to Sri Lanka is commendable, and a hundred in difficult conditions during the Pallekele Test marks him for potential greatness. Reuters
It is odd for a player of Babar Azam's talent to have taken 17 matches to score his first Test century. But the Pakistan middle-order batsman finally broke his duck in Dubai against New Zealand last month. The top-ranked batsman in international Twenty20 cricket has proved he is a man for all formats, and there is no mistaking his class when is out in the middle. It is safe to say 2018 has been something of a breakout year for the budding star. AFP
Aaron Finch is the perennial late-bloomer of Australian cricket. After his Twenty20 international debut at a reasonable age of 24 in 2011, he took two years to play his first one-day international - despite his obvious abilities in the limited-overs format - and then got his breakthrough in Tests just this year, against Pakistan in the UAE. The good thing is he is making up for lost time. He was named T20 captain in 2014 and ODI leader in 2018. He has become an important cog in the Australian wheel at a time when they are missing the services of the suspended Steve Smith and David Warner. EPA
Two years after making his limited-overs debut in Australia, Jasprit Bumrah was handed his first Test cap early in 2018. And what a year it has been for the India fast bowler. He has already taken 39 wickets in eight appearances (not counting the ongoing Melbourne game). The right-armer was excellent in South Africa, England and Australia, where fast bowlers are expected to do well. But he has shown maturity that belies his age and experience. If he stays fit and focused, he could become an India great in the years to come. Trevor Collens / AP Photo
There is no better slow bowler in limited-overs cricket than Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. He has set the template for how leg-spinners should bowl in Twenty20 cricket - and he has done it at just 20 years of age. He also featured prominently in Afghanistan's first ever Test - against India in Bangalore this year - and even though he did not shine there, he will look forward to the challenge of developing his skills for the longest format of the game. Albert Perez / Getty Images
There are two things Rohit Sharma, third from left, has demonstrated this year: one is his ability to dominate any bowling attack in any given conditions in limited-overs cricket; and the other is leading the Indian team ably in the absence of Virat Kohli. Rohit's crowning achievement this year was leading India to the Asia Cup title in the UAE. And in the unlikely event Kohli, who plays a lot of cricket all year round, decides that he has too much on his plate, Rohit can easily slip into full-time captaincy duties. AFP
2018 has been a great year for India captain Virat Kohli as far as batting is concerned. Not only has he topped the ICC batsmen's rankings in Tests and one-day internationals, he also reached 10,000 runs in ODIs this year. He also made a breakthrough with the bat against the likes of James Anderson on India's Test tour of England. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
Australia have three top-class fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Yet, it is off-spinner Nathan Lyon who has emerged as his Test side's strike bowler. At 31, he is peaking and has performed brilliantly all over the world. He has even succeeded against the Indian batsmen, who are famed for their innate ability to play spin. Michael Dodge / Getty Images
One of the many positives for the England Test side has been leg-spinner Adil Rashid's emergence as their No 1 spinner. His rise is timely given that England have been in search of a long-term replacement for the now-retired Graeme Swann. Rashid's stock has risen so much that the national selectors were eager to pick him for Tests despite his opting out of playing English county's four-day competition so he could focus on his limited-overs career. Gareth Copley / Getty Images
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson's stupendous performance with the bat against Pakistan in the UAE last month alone would be enough for him to be in this list. That he also led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League final is a bonus, even though his side were beaten by much-too-strong Chennai Super Kings at the last hurdle. Williamson's image as the humble captain comes as a breath of fresh air at a time when more players are getting into trouble for their poor attitude on and off the field. Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
UAE cricket has seen its stock rise even further, with the Emirates being chosen as the venue to stage high-profile tournaments, such as the Asia Cup, as well as the ever growing number of franchise competitions, including the Afghanistan Premier League, the Abu Dhabi T20 and the T10 League. The national team have performed well, too, while their players are attracting attention from leagues around the world - such as the ones in Nepal and Canada. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Just 18 years old, Sandeep Lamichhane is already much sought after by franchises all over the world. Just this year the Nepal leg-spinner has played in the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Global T20 Canada, Afghanistan Premier League, Australia's Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League, the T10 League and of course, the Everest Premier League in Nepal. This is aside from representing his national team who he almost helped qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images
England's Joe Root has endured an up and down year with the bat, but he has come of age as the leader of the national Test side. The manner in which he captained England to Test series victories at home against India and away to Sri Lanka is commendable, and a hundred in difficult conditions during the Pallekele Test marks him for potential greatness. Reuters
It is odd for a player of Babar Azam's talent to have taken 17 matches to score his first Test century. But the Pakistan middle-order batsman finally broke his duck in Dubai against New Zealand last month. The top-ranked batsman in international Twenty20 cricket has proved he is a man for all formats, and there is no mistaking his class when is out in the middle. It is safe to say 2018 has been something of a breakout year for the budding star. AFP
Aaron Finch is the perennial late-bloomer of Australian cricket. After his Twenty20 international debut at a reasonable age of 24 in 2011, he took two years to play his first one-day international - despite his obvious abilities in the limited-overs format - and then got his breakthrough in Tests just this year, against Pakistan in the UAE. The good thing is he is making up for lost time. He was named T20 captain in 2014 and ODI leader in 2018. He has become an important cog in the Australian wheel at a time when they are missing the services of the suspended Steve Smith and David Warner. EPA
Two years after making his limited-overs debut in Australia, Jasprit Bumrah was handed his first Test cap early in 2018. And what a year it has been for the India fast bowler. He has already taken 39 wickets in eight appearances (not counting the ongoing Melbourne game). The right-armer was excellent in South Africa, England and Australia, where fast bowlers are expected to do well. But he has shown maturity that belies his age and experience. If he stays fit and focused, he could become an India great in the years to come. Trevor Collens / AP Photo
There is no better slow bowler in limited-overs cricket than Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. He has set the template for how leg-spinners should bowl in Twenty20 cricket - and he has done it at just 20 years of age. He also featured prominently in Afghanistan's first ever Test - against India in Bangalore this year - and even though he did not shine there, he will look forward to the challenge of developing his skills for the longest format of the game. Albert Perez / Getty Images
There are two things Rohit Sharma, third from left, has demonstrated this year: one is his ability to dominate any bowling attack in any given conditions in limited-overs cricket; and the other is leading the Indian team ably in the absence of Virat Kohli. Rohit's crowning achievement this year was leading India to the Asia Cup title in the UAE. And in the unlikely event Kohli, who plays a lot of cricket all year round, decides that he has too much on his plate, Rohit can easily slip into full-time captaincy duties. AFP
