Asia Cup 2018: 4 reasons why this Asia Cup might not be very exciting

The Asia Cup 2018 is all set to take place from September 15th at UAE. 6 teams are set to lock horns against each other. The new additions to this edition of Asia Cup are Hong Kong and Afghanistan. Defending champions India have named Rohit Sharma as their ODI captain with Virat Kohli given rest.

With the 2019 World Cup approaching next year, every team will try out different batting and bowling combinations.

This slideshow analyses the reasons why this particular Asia Cup will be boring for the viewers, especially those from India.

More teams

This year's Asia Cup will consist of 6 teams (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong). Usually, the Asia Cup is played between 4 countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh).

With more teams added, the number of matches to be played has increased significantly. The viewers might find it boring to follow all the matches, especially ones played between the 'minnows'.

Back to the traditional 50-overs format

With the number of T20s increasing at a staggering rate, the decision to move back to the 50 over format may prove to be a blunder by the organizers. The reason for the stupendous success of the previous edition of the Asia Cup was mainly because it was played in the T20 format and attracted a lot of viewers.

With the conditions and rules now favouring the batsmen, viewers will find it boring to watch high scoring encounters in all the matches. According to a survey, viewers find the passage between 20 - 39 overs the most boring phase in ODI cricket. The current generation prefers T20s as the time involved is less when compared to ODIs.

The organizers have moved back to the ODI format keeping the World Cup 2019 in mind, but that could prove to be a mistake.

Location

This Asia Cup will be played in UAE

This year's Asia Cup will take place in UAE. The truth is, if the tournament was held in India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, it would have gained a lot of revenue as there is a larger fan following in these regions when compared UAE. Another factor is that it will be played only in two stadiums (Dubai International Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Stadium).

Had it happened in India, players would have played in different conditions which would have tested their skills and fitness levels. From the spinning Nagpur wicket to the flat Wankhede surface, it would have been a visual treat for the viewers as well.

With different pitches available, each match would have promised to be a nail-biter.

No Virat Kohli

India will miss the services of Virat Kohli

You may or may not agree, but the fact is Virat Kohli's absence will play a huge role in this tournament. He has been in the form of his life and was the top scorer in the recently concluded India-England series.

He finished the series with 593 runs at an average of 59.30. With the Indian captain given some rest, it will be a huge disappointment to the fans as most of them dash to the stadium just to watch this man score runs.

Virat has been playing non-stop cricket for the past few months and with the bigger tour of Australia coming up this November, selectors have decided that it is time he gets to rest. In his absence, Rohit Sharma is set to don the captain's hat.

Virat's absence will not only hurt India's chances but also the tournament's overall revenue and the TRP.