ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Ravichandran Ashwin replaces Axar Patel in India's squad

This will be R Ashwin's third ODI World Cup.

Ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named in India's final 15-member ODI World Cup squad, replacing Axar Patel who failed to recover in time from his quadriceps injury.

The news of Ashwin replacing Axar was announced by the International Cricket Council on Thursday in which it was confirmed that the Gujarat all-rounder had not recovered from his left quadriceps injury, which led to the veteran all-rounder's inclusion in the squad.

Ashwin was brought into the squad for the just-concluded ODI series against Australia, where he played the opening two matches at Mohali and Indore. The off-spinner hit his straps with the ball in the second ODI, where he took figures of 3 for 41 in seven overs to help India win by 99 runs.

Ashwin has featured in two ODI World Cups for India and was part of the 15-man squad that won the 2011 edition, held in the subcontinent. He missed out from playing in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, after India opted to bank on the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal and the finger spin of Ravindra Jadeja to do the job in those conditions.

Axar has remained an integral part of India's squad in the past few years, but had a race against time to make it to the ODI World Cup after sustaining the injury during the Asia Cup.

The all-rounder was undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to get fit, but could not recover in time to make it to the squad.

India will play their first warm-up match against England at Guwahati on Saturday. They will then travel to Thiruvananthapuram for their second warm-up match against Netherlands on October 3.

India's 15-man squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.