5 players who were part of 2018 Asia Cup but wouldn't be in the 2023 edition

The Asia Cup 2023 will be played in Sri Lanka and Pakistan based on a hybrid format from August 30 to September 17, 2023. This year, it will be played in the One-Day International (ODI) format, and noting the performance of all Asian sides, India and Pakistan are the top contenders to take the coveted trophy home. Indian fans will expect their team to repeat their 2018 Asia Cup performance in which the Men in Blue had their hands on the trophy under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

In the 2018 edition, Rohit led the team as stand-in captain as the then-India skipper Virat Kohli was given a rest. This time, Rohit is a full-time skipper and Indian supporters are expecting him and his boys to play quality cricket and lift the trophy again on September 17. Comparing India’s squad to that of the 2018 Asia Cup, it can be witnessed that a few players who guided the team to the 2018 title win are missing from this year’s squad.

Here are the five Asia Cup 2018 champions that won’t feature in the 2023 edition:

5. Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar became part of India’s 2018 Asia Cup squad, following the exit of Hardik Pandya due to a lower-back injury. In the competition, Chahar was seen warming benches in most games. However, in India’s final 'Super Four' round match against Afghanistan, Chahar broke into the playing XI under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.

In the match, he bowled a four-over spell and took the sole wicket of Gulbadin Naib. However, he emerged as the most expensive bowler from India in the game by conceding 37 runs. After the dismal bowling performance, he contributed 12 runs to the team with his bat while chasing 252. Though, the game ended in a tie.

This time, selectors didn’t pick Chahar as India have a lot of options when it comes to pace attack. However, Chahar could’ve added more value to India’s fast-bowling unit as Sri Lanka wickets are known for providing support to seamers. The 31-year-old has shown how he can trouble batters with his outswingers so his addition to the squad could also have helped the Men in Blue.