Axar Patel ruled out of first two ODIs vs Australia as Rohit Sharma provides update on Shreyas Iyer and Axar

Indian captain Rohit Sharma provided update on Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer's injuries.

Team India couldn't have won Asia Cup at a better time. They defeated Sri Lanka in the final match at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium in just 129 deliveries. Mohammed Siraj played exceptionally well, taking six wickets for just 21 runs. This victory marked India's first title in a multi-nation event in five years and came less than three weeks before the ODI World Cup, which will be hosted in India.

However, there is a significant concern for Indian team regarding the increasing number of injuries before the upcoming major tournament of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. After the record-breaking win in Colombo on Sunday, captain Rohit Sharma provided an important update regarding Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer. Now, the team are focusing on the upcoming home series against Australia.

Before the World Cup, India's last task is a three-match ODI series against the five-time champions, Australia. The series commences on September 22 in Mohali, followed by the second match in Indore on the 24th, and the concluding fixture taking place on the 27th in Baroda.

Rohit Sharma on Axar Patel.

The upcoming series will play a crucial role in India's final decision regarding their starting eleven for the World Cup, which begins on October 5. Consequently, India aims to have all fifteen players fit for the series. However, there are questions about Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel's participation due to injuries sustained during the Asia Cup.

Iyer, who returned to the team after a seven-month break, suffered a back injury after just one game. On the other hand, Axar had to be ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 final after taking a blow in the match against Bangladesh on Friday. As a result, Washington Sundar replaced him in Asia Cup final.

Addressing the media following the Colombo match, Rohit shared an injury update regarding the two players. He said, "Shreyas Iyer was not available for this game (final) because there were certain parameters that were kept for him to tick off. Today, he completed most of it," Rohit said after India won the Asia Cup 2023. He added saying, "I would say 99% he should be okay as of now, but he looks good. He batted, he fielded for long hours before we came in today so, he's looking good at this point in time. I don't think it's a worry for us."

Providing update on all-rounder Axar Patel, Rohit said "Axar - I'm not sure, he had a small tear. It looks like maybe he will be unavailable for a week or ten days. We just have to wait and see how the injury progresses. Because every individual is different, some guys recover quickly."

He concluded by saying, "I hope that's the case with Axar, so we'll wait and see what happens with him. Obviously, I'm not too sure if he'll be available to play the first two games at home against Australia. We''ll wait and see."