The six-nation Asia Cup limited-overs tournament will begin in Sri Lanka on July 16. India have been placed in Group B along with the hosts and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong are in Group A.

India :

India has emerged as a team second to only Australia and has indeed showcased immense talent in their recent tour of Australia and Pakistan. The team would be a strong contender, but there are a few factors that sit under the spotlight. India has a history of inconsistency, Yuvraj and Sehwag opening will be an experiment, and Harbhajan will be back into International cricket after 6 months of suffering a finger injury. All of these factors could work for or against India.

Sri Lanka :

The 'King if ODIs' with only 20 years of cricketing history are definitely one of the favourites. Winners of the 1996 World Cup had a fall in 2000, but have regained their edge. This was evident when they defeated the world champions Australia. Under the spotlight will be UN ambassador to fight hunger among school children, Muttiah Muralitharan, and the home-crowd.

Pakistan :

The highlight of the Pakistan team will be their change in techniques as they seek help from foreign coach Bob Woolmer. Additionally, there is no saying how detrimental the Rawalpindi Express is going to be to his opponents. After having lost the recent series to India on home ground, this may be their chance to make a comeback especially if it's an India vs. Pakistan finals.

Bangladesh :

Known as the Tigers of Bengal this team beat Pakistan in the round robin stage of the 1999 World Cup. Indeed a historical moment. Their performance have been on an uphill and under the spotlight will be Javed Omar who replaces Hannan Sarkar.

UAE:

The word has been spreading that UAE cricket players are "naturals." The team has vowed to take home the World Cup in 2007 and they are not about to take the Asia Cup lightly. The ambitious and determined UAE coach, Syed Abid Ali, is bound to be under the spotlight. Having taken their 1996 World Cup failure seriously, this team craves International status.

Hong Kong:

Hong Kong will play their first-ever official one-day international when they face Bangladesh in the first fixture of the tournament. However, Hong Kong has a strong cricket background as it was under British ruling for 155 years. With the first cricket club having been formed in 1851, we really have to look out for what this team has in store for International cricket.