Asia Cup 2022: 3 Indian players who did well in the 2018 edition but aren't part of the squad this year
The Asia Cup is set to begin this month as the continent's top teams square off against each other after nearly four years. The six-team tournament is scheduled to take place in the UAE between August 27 and September 11, with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan locking horns in the tournament opener.
The competition will be a T20I event to provide the competing Asian sides a major opportunity to warm up before the ICC T20 World Cup, which is slated to take place in Australia later this year.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will head into the competition as strong favorites, having won the Asia Cup seven times (the most by any country). They recently named a 15-member strong squad for the upcoming event and added a mix of experience and youth to the roster.
India will also enter the tournament as the defending champions after taking home the title in 2018, the previous time the Asia Cup was played. In the past four years, much has changed in the Indian set-up. While some new faces have been added to the fore, some players have fallen out of favor.
On that note, let's take a look at three of those players who did well in the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup for India but will not be part of the team in the forthcoming event.
#3 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav, who was once considered the backbone of the Indian middle-order, has been expelled from the side for the last two years. He last played an international game for India back in February 2020.
While Jadhav was part of the Indian team during the ICC World Cup in 2019, he also took part in the Asia Cup in 2018. With his handy slingy off-spin, Jadhav was an important player in ODIs.
I don't know how many of you will agree but Kedar Jadhav was a very good player for Team India !
For some reason he is overhated too much !
Still we can't found a perfect replacement of him ( Finisher + 6th bowling option ) https://t.co/j71ViuPgbE
While he had the ability to tonk the ball lower down the order, he had no problem providing his side with a few overs in the middle phase as well.
The Maharashtra-born dasher had a decent Asia Cup 2018 campaign where he played all six matches for India and proved to be a great utility player. Though he got the opportunity to bat only thrice, Jadhav scored 70 runs and got out only once.
Interestingly, it was his 23* off 27 which sent India over the ropes in the finals of the competition against Bangladesh. Jadhav also bowled some crucial overs for the side and picked up six scalps in the tournament.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan
Had this year's Asia Cup been contested in a 50-over format, Shikhar Dhawan would've surely been a starter for India. Sadly for the left-hander, however, he is not in India's scheme of things in T20Is and hence isn't part of the Asia Cup 2022 Indian squad.
Dhawan, who was India's vice-captain during the 2018 Asia Cup, had a remarkable campaign. While opening the innings with his partner Rohit Sharma, the Delhi lad stitched up some match-winning partnerships and scored runs in almost every game of the tournament.
There is no secret to success! It is the result of #teamwork and hard work! Congratulations #TeamIndia #IndVsWI #Cricket https://t.co/VWTmxf9vJq
Dhawan was the tournament's highest run-getter with 342 runs at an average of 68 in five innings. Due to his tremendous contribution, the 36-year old was adjudged the Player of the Tournament as well.
Dhawan is currently only being considered for the ODIs by the team management and will be in action on the upcoming India tour of Zimbabwe later this month.
#1 Kuldeep Yadav
Spin wizards Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav formed a solid pair and were India's go-to options during the middle phase of the game in white-ball cricket some time ago.
While Chahal is still India's premier tweaker in T20Is and ODIs, Kuldeep has slipped down the pecking order following his recent injuries. Despite India selecting four different spinners for the 2022 Asia Cup, Kuldeep was overlooked for the marquee event.
🏻
Perfect end to the T20I series. Thank you for all your messages and support. Appreciate it 🇮🇳✌🏻 https://t.co/4ifoU3abr9
The left-arm chinaman, however, was part of the Indian unit during the 2018 edition of the tournament. During that time, Kuldeep experienced the pinnacle of his career and was an integral bowler for the Men in Blue.
The wily spinner was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament in 2018, with ten scalps to his name in six games.