Asia Cup 2022: 3 Indian players who may have fallen out of favor in T20Is

India's 15-man squad for the 2022 Asia Cup is expected to be a clear sign of the selectors' plans ahead of this year's T20 World Cup. The squad sees the return of big names like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul while also handing out a few opportunities to youngsters like Deepak Hooda and Arshdeep Singh.

Over the last few T20I series against teams like Ireland, England and West Indies, India have rarely played with full-strength squads. Rest and injury-enforced rotations have meant that the Men in Blue have had the chance to try out several new players in various roles as they attempt to identify the ideal personnel.

India's squad for the Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan

In the process, a few players have missed out on sealing their spot in the side and it might be a while before we see them in the thick of things again. Here are three Indian players who may have fallen out of favor in T20Is, as evidenced by the composition of the Asia Cup squad.

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#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad

India v South Africa - 1st T20

After an Orange Cap-winning Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2021, Ruturaj Gaikwad seemed set to make a quick step up to the senior squad. The stylish opener looked right at home in the UAE, which is incidentally where this year's Asia Cup will take place.

However, it hasn't been smooth sailing for Gaikwad since. He struggled for consistency in IPL 2022, with his early vulnerabilities against swing being exposed on a regular basis. Then, playing five T20Is against South Africa, the opener managed only 96 runs in five innings, before suffering an injury in the only T20I he played against Ireland.

Gaikwad's style of play definitely won't suit Australian conditions, and India have tried out several other opening options since his axing from the side. It seems tough for the 25-year-old to weasel his way back into the Indian side.

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#2 Mohammad Shami

England v India - 2nd Royal London Series One Day International

Mohammad Shami hasn't played a T20I for India since the 2021 T20 World Cup, so it perhaps wasn't a major surprise that he wasn't picked for the Asia Cup. But with experienced pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel being ruled out of the competition with injuries, several experts and fans believed that the 31-year-old would be given another opportunity to showcase his wares in the shortest format.

Playing for the IPL-winning Gujarat Titans, Shami bowled excellently in the powerplay to almost always produce early breakthroughs. Although he wasn't exactly lethal at the death, he's one of the smartest bowlers on the circuit and could be a handful Down Under. But the selectors didn't seem to think so as they picked Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan to partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the pace attack.

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#1 Ishan Kishan

England & India Net Sessions

At one point, it seemed like Ishan Kishan had a serious case to usurp KL Rahul and become Rohit Sharma's first-choice opening partner. But a few months down the line, the young southpaw finds himself out of the Indian squad.

Like Gaikwad, Kishan has undergone a lean patch. He had a slightly underwhelming IPL season with the Mumbai Indians, and although his performances against South Africa were fairly encouraging, he has recorded five consecutive failures in T20Is.

India have tried out Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant at the top of the order alongside Rohit, thereby taking away Kishan's best position. With Pant and Dinesh Karthik occupying the wicket-keeper's slots as well, the 24-year-old will find it difficult to make the T20 World Cup squad.