Asia Cup 2022: 3 players who might not play a single game for India

Team India will be fielding a full-strength squad for the Asia Cup 2022 slated to start on August 27 in the UAE. With the likes of senior players Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli returning to the fold, the top-order sorts itself out with virtually no room for some of the promising names that were added to the squad.

The BCCI named a 15-member squad on August 8 and the team comprised a blend of youth and experience as India set out to defend their title.

Here's a quick look at the squad:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan

Most of the players in the aforementioned list pick themselves in the playing XI. Here's our prediction of who India may field in the opener against Pakistan and the subsequent games:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja/ R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Arshdeep Singh.

Ahead of a much-anticipated tournament that serves as the perfect platform to kickstart preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, we look at three players who may not play a single game in the tournament.

---

#1 Deepak Hooda might warm the bench during the Asia Cup

As promising as Deepak Hooda has been for India in limited formats, the Baroda all-rounder might have to sit this one out and be content with the exposure he gets from being in the squad.

With Suryakumar Yadav tipped to be the favorite as India's No.4 in the Asia Cup, there is less room for Hooda to slot his way into the otherwise crowded middle-order. Should Yadav injure himself or miss out, he may get a look-in. That remains to be seen though.

---

#2 Ravi Bishnoi

Like Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi has been impressive for India in the limited stints he's had, but in a tournament like the Asia Cup where India cannot take things lightly, he might make way for the more-experienced Yuzvendra Chahal.

With either Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin playing as the other tweaker, Chahal might be the preferred option to send down four overs in the middle.

---

#3 Avesh Khan

Despite the breakneck pace at which he bowls, Avesh Khan might be one of the players missing out in the Asia Cup. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh bring with them the perfect combination of swing and nippy pace — factors that made them tricky customers in the IPL.

Khan's pace might work as a double-edged sword considering Pakistan's batters favor pace. While he has been in good touch in the IPL and the games he represented India in, he still might make way for Arshdeep.