Ashwin replaces Axar in India's final WC squad

Veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named in India's final 15-man squad for the 2023 World Cup.

Ashwin, 37, replaces Axar Patel, who had been named in the provisional squad but has not recovered from his left quadriceps strain.

He suffered the injury in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh on September 15. Ashwin has already travelled to Guwahati with the team, where they play England in their first warm-up game on September 30, reports Cricbuzz.

Ashwin, who ended up playing two of the three home ODIs against Australia in the meanwhile, took his opportunity to make a return in the format with both hands and picked four wickets across two matches.

He picked 3 for 41 in the second ODI in Indore, where his full array of skills were on display. Both David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, undone by different varieties of Ashwin's carrom balls, found him difficult to negotiate on what was a very good batting track at the Holkar Stadium.

Ashwin's inclusion adds an offspinner to India's squad alongside Ravindra Jadeja's left-arm orthodox and Kuldeep Yadav's left-arm wristspin, making it a complete spin attack on paper.