DotNetCoreCLI@2 (dotnet publish) doesn't publish webapi project

I have a solution with .net core mvc and webapi projects. While publishing this project in build pipeline in azure-devops it publishes mvc code in zip folder but it doesn't publish webapi project code. 

here is my publish task:

variables:
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'
  solution: '**/*.sln'  
  artifactName: 'drop'

jobs:
- job: Build

  steps:
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: Restore
    inputs:
      command: restore
      projects: $(solution)

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: 'Dotnet Build'
    inputs:
      projects: $(solution)
      command: 'build'
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'

    # Publish projects to specified folder.
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: 'Dotnet Publish'
    inputs:
      command: 'publish'
      publishWebProjects: true
      projects: $(solution)
      arguments: '-o $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'

The webapi project doesn't have web.config or wwwroot but does use Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web and based on the https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/reference/dotnet-core-cli-v2?view=azure-pipelines#:~:text=In%20the%20absence%20of%20a%20web.config%20file%20or%20a%20wwwroot%20folder%2C%20projects%20that%20use%20a%20web%20SDK%2C%20like%20Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web%2C%20are%20selected., it should be able to identify that as web project.

Any idea why webapi project is not getting published?

Sanjeev