Asia Cup 2022: 5 Cricketers from Asia Cup 2018 who will not be seen in this edition

The Asia Cup 2022 is all set to kickstart on the 27^th of August with the inaugural encounter between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Whereas, arch-rivals India and Pakistan will lock horns on the 28^th of August at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the second match of the tournament.

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Notably, it is the 15^th edition of this prestigious continental tournament. Five teams for the tournament are already finalized including the likes of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The final of the tournament is scheduled for the 11^th of September next month.

Fans are really excited to see the battle of Asian Giants whereas they’ll also miss some renowned former players from all teams who were part of the last Asia Cup.

So, here we’ll have a look at those five players who will not be a part of the Asia Cup 2022 but showcased their skill-sets in the previous edition of the tournament.

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Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik ( Image Credit: Twitter)

The former legendary Pakistani skipper and one of the great batters is not a part of the men in green for the upcoming Asia Cup. He ended up in the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup as one of the leading run-scorers for Pakistan. Although, the senior batter hasn’t announced his retirement from T20 internationals. He is still playing in domestic and franchise cricket.

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The 40-year-old batter is undoubtedly the greatest batter in the middle order for Pakistan in the T20 internationals among all who ever played the game. He has been an inspiration to many young Pakistani cricketers with his amazing fielding skills alongside the fitness he has at this age.

Malik will not be seen in action during the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 for Pakistan as he has been dropped from the squad.

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga (Source: Twitter)

Former Sri Lankan bowling legend who stunned everyone with his exceptional skills with the ball. Lasith Malinga has scalped overall 546 international wickets to his name while playing for the Lankan lions. Although, the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup was quite a bit forgettable for Sri Lanka as they got eliminated from the group stage.

Malinga served the national side of Sri Lanka for a long period and he is still the second leading wicket-taker in the history Asia Cup. The 38-year-old former legendary pacer announced his retirement from international cricket in 2021.

It also translates into the fact he will not be seen in action during the 15^th edition of the Asia Cup going to be played in the United Arab Emirates.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan (Source: Twitter)

The 36-year-old senior batter is still playing for India but now he is not part of the plans of Indian management in the T20 international cricket. Notably, Dhawan had won the award of player of the series in the last edition of the Asia Cup. He finished the 14^th edition of this continental tournament as the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

The southpaw played a vital role in India’s journey to win the tournament in 2018. The Delhi batter ended up scoring 342 runs in five matches with an amazing average of 68.40 and two centuries to his name.

Although, he will not be seen showcasing his skills in the Asia Cup 2022. Currently, Dhawan is playing for the men in blue in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.

MS Dhoni

Former legendary Indian skipper and great wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni entertained the cricket fans for almost more than a decade with his amazing batting and wicketkeeping skills. Apart from this, he has also been phenomenal for team India as captain in all formats of the game.

The 40-year-old was also a part of the Indian team in the last edition of the Asia Cup played in 2018. He played a very important knock of 36 runs in the final of the tournament against Bangladesh. Dhoni made his last international appearance for the Indian side in the 2019 World Cup during the semi-final against New Zealand where India lost the match and got eliminated from the tournament.

Later on, Mahi surprised everyone when he hung his boots in the international cricket on the 15^th of August 2020.

Mashrafe Mortaza

The former veteran T20I player helped the Bangladeshi team go through to the finals of the Asia Cup 2018 last time. They played against India in the final where they lost to the men in blue and ended up being the runners-up of the tournament. Mortaza announced his retirement from the T20 internationals in 2017.

Although he hasn’t retired from other formats of the game, currently he is active in the politics of Bangladesh in the role of a member of Parliament from the constituency of Narail.

Mortaza will also be missed during the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup commencing on the 27^th of August in the United Arab Emirates.