The year 2023 is turning out to be a year of excitement for all the cricket fans in India and across the globe. After wrapping up the WTC final, international cricket will now witness the magic of the Asia Cup.
Six teams from the Asian continent will come together and play the best version of their cricket in the tournament. This year’s Asia Cup will be a thrilling tournament to watch primarily because of two reasons. The top bookmakers in India have released Asia Cup odds on their platforms.
Firstly, it will be considered as the preparatory ground for the upcoming ODI World Cup by all the participating teams and secondly, we won’t have some of the legendary players in the next edition of the tournament.
Here is a list of 5 players who won’t be seen in the next edition of the Asia Cup.
1) Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has established himself as one of the premier batsmen in international cricket. He holds several batting records, including the highest individual score in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), with an astonishing 264 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014. He is the only player to score three double centuries in ODIs.
Rohit also holds multiple records for the most centuries in a single edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. However, the Indian skipper has reached the age of 36 and his body will eventually deny to perform at its best. There is a high possibility that Rohit Sharma will be saying goodbye to international cricket in the coming years.
2) Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan has been the most celebrated Bangladeshi cricketer since his debut in 2006 against Zimbabwe. It has been 17 years, and Shakib has been a crucial part of the Bangladesh cricket team.
His batting contributions, all-round skills, impactful performances, leadership abilities, and record-breaking achievements have made him a standout player in international cricket. His career has been full of records and controversies but undeniably, Shakib is one of the legendary players. At the age of 36, Shakib is expected to call it off and leave a huge void in Bangladesh cricket.
3) Angelo Mathews
Mathews is known for his solid batting technique and ability to anchor the innings. He has been a consistent run-scorer for Sri Lanka, both in Test matches and limited-overs cricket. Sri Lankan cricket has been struggling for a long time and Mathews has already given signs of retirement in 2021.
However, in recent times, he has suffered some injuries and his last ODI was in March 2023 against New Zealand. There is a high possibility that Mathews might not get a chance to play in the ODI World Cup and he might announce his retirement after the Asia Cup.
4) Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad Nabi is a versatile all-rounder who has showcased his abilities with both bat and ball. He has been a consistent performer in limited-overs cricket, displaying his effectiveness as a middle-order batsman and an off-spin bowler. Nabi's all-round skills make him a valuable asset to the Afghan national team.
He is one of those cricketers who were responsible to bring Afghan cricket on the international map. At the age of 38, things have already become difficult for Nabi and he will be soon departing on a positive note from international cricket.
5) Dinesh Karthik
One of the most successful comeback stories which took place in 2022 after the Indian Premier League was of Dinesh Karthik. The wicket-keeper performed exceptionally well in the IPL as a fisher and hence cemented his space in T20 cricket. However, Dinesh Karthik has not performed as per expectations in international cricket and he has already been dropped from the team.
There are very less chances that he will be even featured in the Asia Cup 2023. He has already reached the age of 38 and now he can't find space in the squad.
