Following Ravindra Jadeja's omission from India's squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, former Indian cricketers Cheteshwar Pujara and Abhishek Nayar shared contrasting perspectives regarding his future keeping the next year's World Cup in mind.
Speaking on JioStar, Pujara suggested that the 37-year-old’s 50-over career is likely over. He noted that since Axar Patel has firmly established himself as India's premier spin-bowling all-rounder, team management has likely communicated to Jadeja to focus exclusively on Test cricket.
"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 said.
On the same show, Nayar offered a differing counter-strategy, asserting that Jadeja remains the ultimate "insurance policy" for the Indian team.
While acknowledging that Axar is the absolute frontrunner, Nayar emphasized that if Axar suffers an injury leading up to the quadrennial event in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, Jadeja will immediately be the first-choice backup option.
"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," Nayar remarked.
India’s five-match ODI series against New Zealand is slated to begin on November 4 at Auckland, serving as a vital staging ground for the Men in Blue to experiment with combinations and adjust to seamer-friendly conditions ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will feature in the ODI series. Shubman Gill will lead the side for the first three ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for the final two ODIs with the former shifting focus on red-ball preparations.
