Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced left-arm spinner Axar Patel in India’s final 15 for the 2023 World Cup.
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.
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.
Axar too was named conditionally in the squad for the final ODI subject to his fitness but missed the game which India lost by 66 runs in Rajkot.
The 37-year-old also has the familiarity of playing on the big stage, having featured in the 2011 and 2015 editions of the World Cup for India. In the tournament Down Under, Aswhin scalped 13 wickets in eight matches in India’s run into the semi-final.
Despite Axar missing the World Cup, India have almost a full-strength side at their disposal with KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah all making successful comeback from long-term injuries.
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