India's campaign in the 2022 Asia Cup faltered when they couldn't hold onto leads in two consecutive matches, putting them in a precarious position in the Super 4 stage. The defending champions eventually exited the tournament following Pakistan's victory over Afghanistan. This struggle was exacerbated by a thin bowling attack; because Avesh Khan was unavailable for health reasons, the team had to rely on just two specialist pacers, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The lack of death-bowling precision proved costly. In the clash with Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar gave away 19 runs in the 19th over, and he suffered a similar setback against Sri Lanka, conceding 14 runs in the second-to-last over. These expensive spells effectively derailed India's chances of winning both encounters.
Former head coach Ravi Shastri analyzed the situation, noting that the squad lacked sufficient variety and quality in its seam bowling department. He expressed genuine confusion over the decision to leave Mohammed Shami at home, arguing that Shami was exactly the kind of lethal pace option India needed for such critical fixtures.
Shastri highlighted the need for more rigorous preparation to ensure victory. The former all-rounder suggested that the selection process was flawed, particularly the decision to bring only three fast bowlers to the UAE, where the conditions typically don't favor spinners as much as they do seamers.
It remains a mystery to many why Shami was sidelined. Shastri concluded that it was particularly strange for Shami to be overlooked after such a dominant performance during the IPL season.