‘I don’t look at him for white-ball cricket’: Is Ravindra Jadeja’s ODI career over?

Ravindra Jadeja (PTI Photo) Former India cricketers Cheteshwar Pujara and Abhishek Nayar have offered different views on Ravindra Jadeja’s future in ODI cricket after the all-rounder was left out of some recent series.The 37-year-old has not been included in India’s squad for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, with Axar Patel currently the team’s first-choice left-arm spinner. With the ODI World Cup a year away and Jadeja missing out on selection for overseas conditions, questions have been raised about his chances of making the squad for the tournament.Pujara feels Jadeja’s exclusion could signal the end of his ODI career, with Axar ahead of him in the team’s plans.“I believe so because if you want to keep Ravindra Jadeja in ODI cricket then he should have been picked. I’m sure he was told that he didn’t need to be picked because Axar Patel was the main all-rounder in ODI cricket and he gets more opportunities.”“Looking at his age, I feel the team management may have told him that he is only a part of Test cricket now, so he should focus there and that they are not looking at him for white-ball cricket. So it may be the end of the road, because of course he has retired from T20 Internationals. I feel he may not be selected only for ODIs,” Pujara told JioStar reporters.However, Nayar believes Jadeja could still be part of India’s plans as a back-up for Axar at the World Cup. He described the senior all-rounder as the team’s “insurance” in case Axar was unavailable.“Jaddu might not be back in the team, but if someone gets injured, the first name that comes to my mind will be Jaddu. Because there is no one after Axar.”“A valid question now would be: After Axar, who is the front-runner? Currently, Axar Patel is the front-runner and after him, Jaddu is still your insurance. If anything happens to Axar Patel before the World Cup, Ravindra Jadeja will come into the team,” he said on the same show.India’s ODI series against New Zealand begins on November 4. The series will give the team the opportunity to test their combinations against strong opposition in challenging conditions in preparation for next year’s World Cup, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Who do you think should be India’s premier ODI all-rounder?

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

More than 5,000 users have already voted today

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

Share an opinion