Patel's performance in the recent champions league t20 earns him spot in side
Left-arm spinner Akshar Patel was added in the Indian squad for the remaining two one-dayers against the West Indies and was also picked in the 14-man team for a lone T20
Mumbai: Left-arm spinner AKshar Patel has been added to an otherwise unchanged India squad for the remaining two ODI matches of the ongoing five-match series against West Indies. The Gujarat player, along with Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey, has also been included in the 14-man squad for the only T20 international. The selectors who met here on Tuesday, retained pacer Ishant Sharma, who was brought in after the first ODI to replace the injured Mohit Sharma. Patel’s inclusion means the ODI squad now comprises of 15-members. India and the West Indies are currently locked 1-1 in the one-dayers after the third match in Visakhapatnam was cancelled due to cyclone ‘Hudhud’.
India’s premier spin bowler R. Ashwin who was rested for the first three ODIs continues to be out for the remaining ODIs in Dharamshala (Oct. 17) and Kolkata (Oct. 20). He will also miss the solitary Twenty20 International in Cuttack on October 22.
India plays seven Tests following the ODI and T20 series against West Indies and it seems selectors have saved the Tamil Nadu tweaker for the Test series’ against West Indies and Australia.
Ashwin has played just four ODIs in England since the Asia Cup in March and it would have been ideal platform for the 28-year-old to get some confidence back by picking wickets against West Indies. He will now have just ODI tri-series to play following the Tests in Australia and get in groove for the ICC World Cup if he features in selectors mind for the mega event.
Patel, who has played three ODIs, made his India debut against Bangladesh in June following a strong IPL-7 season. He was the second-most successful spinner in the recent CL T20 behind Sunil Narine with eight wickets from five games at an economy-rate of 6.15.
Pandey, the first Indian to make a century in the IPL, is yet to make his ODI debut. He has featured in every season of the IPL so far and scored 401 runs in 16 matches this season including match winning 50-ball 94 in the final for KKR. Pandey and Patel replaced Dhawal Kulkarni and Ambati Rayudu in the Twenty20 side, which was last seen in action during the tour of England. Rohit, Mohit and Ashwin miss out here.
Squads:
India ODI squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, M Vijay, Kuldeep Yadav, Akshar Patel.
India Twenty20 squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey, Umesh Yadav
( Source : dc correspondent )
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