In an unforeseen change to India’s World Cup 2023 squad, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will replace left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who is facing an extended recovery period due to an injury. Patel sustained a left quadriceps strain during the Super fours game against Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2023 and has been sidelined since.

Ashwin, who recently made a remarkable comeback to the ODI side after an absence of 21 months, impressed with his performance in the second ODI against Australia. During the series, he emerged as the joint second-highest wicket-taker, capturing four wickets in two innings at an average of 22 and an economy rate of 5.17. Follow your favourite cricket team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet. 

With 115 ODIs under his belt, Ashwin has already secured 155 wickets at an average of 33.20 and an economy of 4.94. His vast experience in major tournaments includes participation in the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. In these World Cup editions, Ashwin managed to claim 17 wickets from ten matches with an average of 24.88 and an economy of 4.36.

The Indian team is gearing up for the World Cup with a warm-up match against England in Guwahati, followed by another warm-up encounter against Netherlands on October 03 in Thiruvananthapuram. Their journey in the World Cup begins with a league fixture against Australia on Sunday, October 08, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

India’s World Cup squad, led by Rohit Sharma, now includes Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav. Get free cricket betting tips from Nextbet Sports.