Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar – ‘Will Ravichandran Ashwin replace Axar Patel in India’s World Cup squad’

Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar – ‘Will Ravichandran Ashwin replace Axar Patel in India’s World Cup squad’: For the forthcoming three-match series against Australia, legendary off-spinner R Ashwin has made a remarkable return to the Indian ODI squad.

If Axar Patel fails to recover in time for the international tournament, his place in the team puts him in direct competition with Washington Sundar for a spot in the World Cup.

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The first two games will be skipper Rohit Sharma’s, senior batsman Virat Kohli’s, all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s, and in-form spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s well-deserved break to ensure the senior players are psychologically fresh for the much awaited World Cup.

K L Rahul will serve as captain for the first two games against Australia, while Rohit Sharma will make a comeback to command a fully prepared team in the third and final ODI, which will take place soon before the World Cup starts on October 5. The roster for the third game essentially includes Ashwin and Washington among the 15 players chosen for the World Cup.

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Ashwin, who last played an ODI in South Africa back in January 2022, could potentially be a last-minute addition to the World Cup squad if Axar fails to recover before the September 28 deadline set by the International Cricket Council.

Axar had suffered a quadriceps tear during the recently concluded Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, which caused him to miss the final match against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that both Ashwin and Washington are being considered as potential replacements if Axar fails to recover in time. “There are couple of guys anyways, him and Washington. Look basically, what is being made known to us about Axar’s injury is that he should be okay and call we will make it once we know that but it leaves us with option to check these guys if they need to go that way,” Agarkar told the media during a virtual session.

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“If the need arises, we will look at that way but I don’t think there is any need to speculate right now because we are hoping that Axar is fit,” he added.

Ashwin, who had been excluded from the India ODI squad since the Champions Trophy in 2017, was given another opportunity in January of last year during the ODI series in South Africa.

However, his return to the team was short-lived as he was once again sidelined. Similarly, Ashwin’s T20 career has followed a similar path, with the 37-year-old being dropped from the team after the World Cup in Australia last year.

Additionally, Shreyas Iyer, who has been prone to injuries, was only able to participate in two matches during the Asia Cup due to a back spasm.

Nevertheless, he is now available for all three ODIs.“He got through his batting programme fine and at the moment, he is fit. We hope that he gets through all these three games,” said Agarkar.

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The first One Day International (ODI) match will take place in Mohali on September 22nd, followed by the second match in Indore on September 24th, and the third match in Rajkot on September 27th.

Afterward, India will participate in two World Cup warm-up games against England and Netherlands on September 30th and October 3rd, respectively, in Guwahati and Trivandrum. Finally, India will kick off their tournament by facing Australia in Chennai on October 8th