India full squad for World Cup 2023

Veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced Axar Patel in India’s 15-member squad for the World Cup 2023, which begins October 5.

The left-spinner Patel who sustained quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup would need three more weeks to fully recover. Ashwin was earlier not part of the 15-man squad for the World Cup that was announced late August.

Ashwin and Washington Sundar were drafted in India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia, which India won 2-1. Ashwin playing in ODIs after 18 months returned with figures of 1 for 47 and 3 for 41 in the first two ODIs that he played before being rested for the third where Sundar played.

His experience and spin brain – that he displayed in the first two one-dayers – has earned him a place in India’s 2023 World Cup squad.

The 37-year-old offspinner having played 115 ODIs was part of India’s successful World Cup campaign in 2011 where he picked four wickets from two matches. He too played in 2015 World Cup in Australia, where he picked 13 scalps from eight matches. However, he was not part of India’s 2019 World Cup squad.

India squad:

Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj