Vaibhav Tripathi
Rohit Sharma, the India skipper, hinted that Ravichandran Ashwin could be included as a backup option for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. He praised Ashwin’s fine performance during the ongoing ODI series against Australia, acknowledging his skills and variety. Rohit also expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations.
“You cannot take away the class and the experience that the individual has over the years. He’s got a lot of variations up his sleeve, 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. We’ve given them enough game time, a lot of time in the middle as well. So pretty much happy with how things have planned out in the last couple of weeks,” he said in a presser before the third ODI versus Australia.
Ashwin’s return to the ODI squad came after Axar Patel’s injury during the Asia Cup, leading to his absence in the final match against Sri Lanka. The veteran off-spinner showcased his abilities in the first ODI against Australia, conceding just 47 runs and taking one wicket. In the second ODI in Indore, he further demonstrated his skills by claiming three wickets, showcasing control and variety on a pitch where the home side scored 399.
Furthermore, Rohit confirmed that India would have only 13 players available for selection in the third ODI. Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, and Axar Patel will be unavailable for selection for the Rajkot ODI.