ICC World Cup 2023: Ravichandran Ashwin replaced injured Axar Patel as India announced its final squad for the World Cup on Thursday. The chances of Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Cup squad increased as he performed exceptionally well in the India-Australia series. Axar Patel was injured during the Asia Cup 2023 and then missed the India’s series against Australia.
The inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin comes as fans were demanding his entry into the Indian squad for the World Cup. Team India was keen on including an all-rounder on number 8 and Axar Patel had displayed that ability to pull off some extra runs in the lower order of batting. But, the fans were pointing out that Ravichandran Ashwin also has explosive batting skills which he has shown several times.
“Axar Patel has failed to recover in time for the World Cup after sustaining a left quadriceps strain during India’s Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh. The spin-bowling all-rounder missed the final of the Asia Cup as a result,” the ICC said in an official release.
“Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named his replacement, who was impressive on his return to ODI cricket in the recently concluded series against Australia where he picked up four wickets in two games,” the release added.
India’s quest for World Cup glory kicks off on October 8 in Chennai, facing Australia. The pitches in Chennai are known for their sluggish nature, favoring spin bowlers, and in this context, Ashwin’s familiarity with the venue, gained through numerous appearances for both India and the Chennai Super Kings, will prove to be a valuable asset for Captain Rohit Sharma. As the sole specialist off-spinner in the squad, Ashwin’s extensive experience, backed by 155 wickets from 115 ODIs, further strengthens his significance to the team.
India’s Final squad for ICC World Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
