3 active players from India's Asia Cup 2018 squad who are unlikely to feature in Asia Cup 2022

The Asia Cup 2022 is all set to get underway on 27th August in UAE, with Afghanistan taking on Sri Lanka in the tournament opener. The marquee event will be held in T20I format, unlike the last edition in 2018, which was played in ODI format.

Team India won the 2018 Asia Cup under the leadership of Rohit Sharma by beating Bangladesh in the final. The goal will be no different this time as well for the Indian side. The tournament will also serve as a vital chunk of the preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup later this year.

The BCCI is likely to announce India's squad for the tournament by 8th August (Monday). The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign against Pakistan on August 28 at the Dubai International Stadium.

In today's listicle, we will look at active players who were part of India's 2018 winning squad but are unlikely to get selected for the 2022 edition.

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1. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan was India's vice-captain to assist stand-in captain Rohit Sharma in the 2018 Asia Cup. He scored 342 runs at an astonishing average of 68.40 with the help of a couple of hundreds. As a result, he was adjudged the Player of the Series.

However, a lot has changed for the left-handed batter as he has been out of the T20I squad since July 2021. It would not be a stretch to say that the selectors have moved on and he is no longer in the setup for the shortest format of the game.

The likes of KL Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan are way ahead in the race to fill-up the opening slot alongside Rohit Sharma. With the 2022 Asia Cup happening in a T20 format, the chances of the 36-year-old batter getting selected are very small.

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2. Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed is not in scheme of things. Pic: Getty Images

Khaleel Ahmed made his international debut for India in the Asia Cup 2018 against Hong Kong, picking up three wickets for 48 runs. However, he was given the go-ahead in only two games of the tournament.

The 24-year-old cricketer has played 11 ODIs and 14 T20Is for India so far. He played his last T20I in November 2019 against Bangladesh, in which he went wicketless.

Khaleel had a decent time with the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022 as he managed to pick up 16 wickets in 10 games at an economy of 8.04. However, he is not in consideration for India's Asia Cup 2022 squad selection at the moment.

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3. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey plays a shot against New Zealand. Pic: Getty Images

Manish Pandey was a member of the Asia Cup 2018 winning squad but he got no games under his belt in the tournament. The likes of Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik were preferred ahead of him in the starting XI.

Once a promising talent, Pandey couldn't get hold of his position on the international circuit. In the last few years, he has struggled to find the rhyme with the bat and played his last T20I in December 2020.

Even in IPL 2022, the right-handed batter managed to accumulate just 88 runs in six games. He will next be seen leading Gulbarga Mystics in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.