NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketers Cheteshwar Pujara and Abhishek Nayar discussed the future of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has been facing selection rejections in some of the recent ODI series.
The 37-year-old was not picked for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, with Axar Patel being the first-choice left-arm finger spinner for the Men in Blue. With a year left for the ODI World Cup and Jadeja not getting a place in the Indian ODI team in overseas conditions, it raised eyebrows as to what his future holds for the World Cup.
Speaking on his exclusion, Pujara pointed out that it might be the end of the road for Jadeja, as Axar seems to be above him in the pecking order. "I believe so, because if you want to keep Ravindra Jadeja in ODI cricket, then he should have been selected. I'm sure it was communicated to him that he might not be selected because Axar Patel has been the main all-rounder in ODI cricket and is being given more opportunities.
"Looking at his age, I feel the team management might have told him that he is now only a part of Test cricket, so he should focus there, and that they are not looking at him for white-ball cricket. So, it could be the end of the road because, obviously, he has retired from T20 Internationals. I feel he might not be selected just for the ODIs," Pujara told JioStar.
However, Nayar felt that Jadeja still remains the "insurance policy" for India, and he might be the backup for Axar in the World Cup. "Jaddu might not come back into the team, but if someone gets injured, the first name that will come to mind will be Jaddu. Because after Axar, there is no one.
"The valid question right now would be: After Axar, who is the frontrunner? Currently, the frontrunner is Axar Patel, and after him, Jaddu is still your insurance policy. If something happens to Axar Patel before the World Cup, Ravindra Jadeja will come into the team," he said on the same show.
India's crucial ODI assignment against New Zealand will begin on November 4, as it will be key for the Men in Blue to test themselves against a quality opponent in challenging conditions and identify their best combinations for the global showpiece in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next year.