R Ashwin Replaces Axar Patel In India's World Cup Squad

With the inclusion of R Ashwin in the team, the off-spinner becomes just the second player from the 2011 World Cup-winning India side to be part of the 2023 contingent, with the other being Kohli.

Ravichandran Ashwin of India celebrates the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne of Australia during game one of the One Day International series between India and Australia at Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium on September 22, 2023 in Mohali, India.

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Star India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced left-arm spinner Axar Patel in India's final 15 for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. It is being learnt that Axar, who sustained an injury during the team's Asia Cup campaign, needs at least three weeks to recover fully which has ruled him out of the tournament. India have made the changes on the deadline to do so for the initial squad submitted. However, if any other changes are made after the last date to do so on September 28 (Thursday), it will have to be permitted by the technical committee off the World Cup.

Ashwin has already travelled with the team to Guwahati where India will lock horns with England in their first of the two warm-up fixtures at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. They will then take on Netherlands at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram in their second warm-up game before locking horns with Australia in their World Cup campaign opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

🚨 BREAKING: India make late change to #CWC23 squad with all-rounder set to miss out due to injury!

Details 👇https://t.co/oa6htByQmz

— ICC (@ICC) September 28, 2023

With the inclusion of Ashwin in the team, he becomes just the second player from the 2011 World Cup-winning India side to be part of the 2023 contingent with the other being Virat Kohli. He had only played just two ODIs since the start of the 2018 but was named in the squad for the home series against Australia. He was even spotted batting right after the Mohali ODI, hinting that the management may have had a word with him, wanting him to chip in with the bat once he gets a game, come the World Cup, a role they were expecting Axar to play.

Ashwin also adds an off-spinning option in the side, apart from all his experience of playing in international cricket, a variety which their bowling was lacking and he could be used against opposition which have a handful of left-handers with his stock delivery turning away from the southpaw.

India Squad For World Cup 2023:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), 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