Indian all-rounder Axar Patel posted a cryptic Instagram story before immediately deleting it after being ruled out of the 2023 World Cup, with Ravichandran Ashwin taking his spot. The 29-year-old's Instagram story sparked massive speculations among the fans whether he was intentionally omitted from the squad to accommodate Ashwin.
Axar had suffered quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 game against Bangladesh, rendering him ruled out of the final of the tournament. The left-arm spinner couldn't play in the three-game ODI series against Australia due to the injury.
Axar Patel's story. | (Credits: Instagram)
Axar Patel's story. | (Credits: Instagram)
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed his chance in the two ODIs he played against Australia, delivering the goods, thereby confirming his spot.
"He's got a lot of variation up his sleeves" - Rohit Sharma on Ravichandran Ashwin
Ahead of the 3rd ODI against Australia in Rajkot, team India skipper Rohit Sharma asserted that Ashwin's experience gives them a massive edge over other sides, stating:
"You cannot take away the class and the experience that the individual has over the years and in the last couple of games we saw how well he bowled. He's got a lot of variation up his sleeves and in case there is a chance, we can look at a lot of things. So hopefully, the way things are at this point in time, it does well for us because we've got all the backups and everything ready as well."
The Men in Blue will open their 2023 World Cup campaign against Australia on October 8th in Chennai.
