Asia Cup 2018: 3 Indian stars who will not play in the tournament

The 14th edition of the Asia Cup will kick off this Saturday, when Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka. It will be the third time that the tournament is being held in the United Arab Emirates.

But despite being the strongest team in the Asian subcontinent, India will not start the Asia Cup as clear favourites, and that is because the team has decided to rest a number of big names and will be looking to give the youth a chance in the tournament.

Whether this decision will come back to haunt them is going to be clear in a few days time. For now, let us take a look at 3 Indian stars who will not feature at the Asia Cup.

---

#3. Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane has been dropped from the ODI squad.

Ajinkya Rahane is not regarded as an ODI specialist. His classy style seems more suited to Test cricket. But that does not mean that the Marathi batsman cannot be an asset to the team.

More often than not, Rahane can be relied upon to put runs on the board. They might not come at the pace of a KL Rahul or a Hardik Pandya, but they surely come, and India might miss a batsman like him if there is a collapse at the top of the order. In that situation, all the pressure will come upon the shoulders of an ageing M.S. Dhoni.

While Rahane might not be the first name on the team list, he can surely play the role of a solid middle order batsman, especially when it looks like Team India is keen to experiment in this tournament.

#2. Suresh Raina

Raina has found it hard to make the Indian team in recent years.

How times have changed for Suresh Raina. Once upon a time, he was almost guaranteed a spot in the Indian side, but these days he finds it difficult to even make the squad.

After getting called up for the England tour, Raina would have hoped that he would get a chance to play in the Asia Cup as well. But unfortunately for him, he did not even find a spot in the 16-man squad. It must surely hurt to see players like Manish Pandey, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav move ahead of him in the Indian pecking order.

One thing that this Asia Cup team lacks is experience. Raina could have provided that in spades: if not on the field, then from the dressing room. One of Dhoni's most trusted generals in the past, Raina has been a victim of changing times in Indian cricket.

#1. Virat Kohli

Captain Kohli has been rested in the Asia Cup.

The team management decided to give Virat Kohli a rest in the Asia Cup, keeping the upcoming schedule of the Indian team in mind.

Over the past few years, this Indian team has at times looked dependent on Kohli for runs. It is similar to how Indian teams of the past used to depend on Sachin Tendulkar, and like Sachin, Kohli has delivered more often than not.

But now with him rested for the Asia Cup, the team will have to find ways to put big scores on the board. There is enough talent in the squad, but with both Dhawan and Rahul out of form, the Indian fans must be worried. It will be interesting to see how the Indian team does without their talisman.