Ravichandran Ashwin Set To Replace Axar Patel In India's World Cup Squad: Report

Ravichandran Ashwin is reportedly set to replace Axar Patel in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. The ace spinner had fallen down the pecking order in the ODI team and had played just two ODIs since 2018 before being recalled for the ongoing series against Australia.

Ravichandran Ashwin earned the recall after Axar Patel suffered a thigh injury while batting during the Super 4 game against Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2023 earlier this month. On batting-friendly pitches, the senior spinner has managed to impress with his performance.

In his comeback match, he picked up 1 wicket for 47 runs in 10 overs. And in Indore where Team India scored 399 runs, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 3 wickets for 41 runs off 7 overs. And with Axar Patel unfit and form on his side, Ravichandran Ashwin looks set to be a part of India’s World Cup contingent, according to a report in The Times of India.

“Axar is suffering from a quadriceps injury, which takes a long time to heal. KL Rahul was suffering from a similar injury, and took four months to recover. It makes sense to not rush him now for the World Cup, given the way Ashwin has bowled in this series,” a source told the news outlet.

Rohit Sharma praises Ravichandran Ashwin:

Captain Rohit Sharma is also delighted with Ravichandran Ashwin’s performance against Australia. Speaking ahead of the third and final ODI, the India skipper heaped praise on the spinner for his experience and skill.

“He has got the class, he has got the experience of playing the sport and he has handled the pressure. It is just that he has not played ODIs in the last year or so. But you cannot take away the class and the experience. He has got a lot of variations up his sleeve,” Rohit said.

Meanwhile, high-flying India will be looking to continue their winning run and inflict a whitewash on Australia by winning the third ODI. It will be the first time that India will be whitewashing Australia in an ODI series for the first time. The hosts will be boosted by the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya who were rested for the first two ODIs.