'Sb thik hai bas Trophy jeet jana' - Fans react as Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli are only India players to be part of both 2011 and 2023 ODI World Cup

As India announced their final squad for the ODI World Cup 2023, ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finds himself in the top 15.

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Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli

Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)

As India announced their final squad for the ODI World Cup 2023, ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finds himself in the top 15. Ashwin has replaced the injured Axar Patel in the 15-member squad and has travelled to Guwahati with the team. With his inclusion, he, along with Virat Kohli, becomes only the second Indian player to play in both the 2011 and 2023 World Cups.

In the 2011 World Cup, India won the championship for the second time under the leadership of MS Dhoni. At that moment, Kohli was a young batter trying to make his mark in world cricket. Ashwin was shading the void left by Anil Kumble in the Indian team. In that tournament, Kohli has scored 282 runs in nine innings, including a century against Bangladesh. On the other hand, Ashwin had played two games and clinched four wickets in that tournament.

It is worth noting that since then, Virat has participated in all other World Cups, while Ashwin missed out on the squad in 2019. However, this year Ashwin will be keen to win games for India with his all-round performance. His batting and bowling abilities are second to none in Indian conditions, which will surely help him to run the game with his own mind.

Axar Patel fails to recover from a thigh injury

Meanwhile, star all-rounder Axar Patel is out of the ODI World Cup squad due to an injury. He might have lost the golden opportunity to play for India on the biggest stage in the world. However, as the Indian players are set for the biggest task of their lives, the team has reached Guwahati. Here they will face defending champion England in a warm-up game.

It is worth noting that India will start their World Cup campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8. After that, the Indian team will face Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 11. The marquee clash between India and Pakistan will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.

Here is how fans react to Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion in the squad:

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