Ravichandran Ashwin, who made a remarkable comeback to the Indian cricket team for the ODI series against Australia, has been selected as a replacement for the injured Axar Patel in the Cricket World Cup 2023 squad. Ashwin’s inclusion garnered attention on social media when a picture of him playing the reverse sweep in the nets went viral, resulting in humorous memes. Alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin will form the spin trio for India in the tournament, and his batting skills are expected to be a valuable asset for the team. The Indian cricket team recently arrived in Thiruvananthapuram for their warm-up fixture against the Netherlands, where enthusiastic fans greeted them with chants of “India, India.” Unfortunately, India’s first warm-up game against England was washed out due to rain. However, they will have another chance to test their playing XI against the Netherlands before the World Cup commences. India enters the tournament with a near-full-strength squad, including the successful comebacks of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah from long-term injuries. Rahul showcased his comeback with a stunning century in the Asia Cup Super 4 match against Pakistan, while Iyer scored a century in the second ODI against Australia. Bumrah, on the other hand, has shown signs of returning to his best form after delivering an impressive performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Fours. India will kickstart their World Cup campaign on October 8 against Australia in Chennai. The Indian World Cup squad includes Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, 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.
Tue. Jan 14th, 2025
