R Ashwin Replaces Injured Axar Patel: India Announce Final Squad For ODI World Cup 2023

Mumbai: Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was drafted into the Indian World Cup 2023 squad on Thursday as a replacement for the injured Axar Patel.

Ashwin, with 115 ODIs under his belt, had been out of the ODI circuit for nearly 20 months. However, he made a strong case for his return by delivering impressive performances against Australia in a recent series, claiming four wickets in just two games.

Axar Patel, who was originally part of the squad, had to be ruled out due to an injury to his left quadriceps. His recovery process had been closely monitored, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had hoped for his return. However, with Axar unable to regain fitness in time, Ashwin was brought in as the replacement, as indicated by BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar earlier.

The 37-year-old boasts 155 ODI wickets at an average of over 33, with an economy rate of under 5. This World Cup appearance will mark his third, having previously featured in the 2011 and 2015 editions.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had mandated that all participating teams announce their 15-player squads before September 28. Any changes beyond this date require approval from the ICC board.

Ashwin has already joined the Indian squad in Guwahati and is gearing up for the first warm-up match against England, scheduled for Sunday.

India’s Final ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Squad:

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.