On September 28, Team India finalized their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. They made a last-minute adjustment, substituting all-rounder Axar Patel with the seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. This alteration stemmed from Axar’s left quadriceps strain, which he sustained during the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Bangladesh. Consequently, Axar was absent from the final and also missed the three-match ODI series against Australia.
Ravichandran Ashwin, meanwhile, earned a return to the ODI team during the series against Australia, where he showcased his prowess in the first two matches with figures of 1/47 and 3/41, respectively. Although Washington Sundar, who had replaced Axar in the Asia Cup final, was part of the squad, it was evident that Ashwin was the preferred choice if Axar failed to recover in time.
Squad of India For World Cup 2023
R Ashwin replaces injured Axar Patel in the 15-member squad.
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 28, 2023
We wish Axar a speedy recovery đź‘Ť đź‘Ť#TeamIndia‘s final squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is here 🙌#CWC23 pic.twitter.com/aejYhJJQrT
Leading the team under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, India boasts star players such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill in the batting lineup, along with bowling talents like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Remarkably, only two cricketers from the current Team India squad were part of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning side, which was the last time the tournament took place in India. These two players are Ashwin and Kohli. Notably, Ashwin didn’t feature in the final against Sri Lanka, as India opted for the more experienced Harbhajan Singh.
In contrast, Kohli, as a young talent, had a commendable performance in his debut World Cup, playing nine matches and amassing 282 runs at an average of 35.25 and a strike rate of 82.21, including one century and one half-century. Kohli’s memorable century of 100* runs came against Bangladesh in Mirpur, and he contributed a vital 35 runs in the final, steadying India’s innings after the early dismissals of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
In contrast, Ashwin participated in just two matches during the 2011 World Cup, securing four wickets at an average of 23.25 and an economy rate of 4.65. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the quarter-final against Australia in Mohali, where he claimed two crucial wickets, including Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting.
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