ICC World Cup 2023: Axar Patel Likely To Be Picked Ahead Of Yuzvendra Chahal In India's World Cup Squad

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the men’s selection committee, is set to announce India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup on Monday, August 21. Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma will participate in the meeting before finalizing the squad.

The selectors are likely to announce a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to commence on August 30. There is a possibility of Ajit Agarkar announcing the Men in Blue’s 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup 2023 in the same press conference.

Axar Patel To Be Picked Ahead Of Yuzvendra Chahal

According to recent news reports, all-rounder Axar Patel and veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will compete for the third spinner slot in the World Cup squad. Axar Patel is likely to get picked ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal, as he has been a regular member of the ODI set-up in recent times.

Axar and Chahal were part of India’s squad for the recently concluded three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The left-arm spinner got a chance to play in one match, while the right-arm leg spinner was not picked by the team management in all three matches in the 50-over format.

Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav will be India’s first-choice spinners in the squad. Jadeja can contribute to the team in all three departments. On the other hand, Kuldeep is currently India’s No. 1 spinner in the latest ICC Men’s ODI bowling rankings.

According to ICC regulations, all participating nations are required to reveal their initial 15-member squad by September 5. The final squad submission deadline is September 27, allowing participating countries to modify their World Cup roster between the initial and final submissions.

Asia Cup To Begin On August 30

The Asia Cup 2023 will be played from August 30 to September 17 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will host the four matches in the tournament, while the remaining games will be held in Sri Lanka. The Rohit Sharma-led team will play all of their games in the island nation.

India, Pakistan, and Nepal are placed in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are placed in Group B. Every team will play against the other two teams in the league stage. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Also read: IND vs WI: “I Am Astonished” – Aakash Chopra Slams Hardik Pandya For Underutilizing Axar Patel