The recent trends have changed, and the emergence of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar means Jadeja’s place in the XI is not guaranteed anymore.
After a lengthy run in Test cricket, the focus will now shift to the fifty-over format as India gear up for the impending Champions Trophy. India’s ODI side is more or less settled, especially the playing XI. Most players who played in World Cup 2023 will feature in this competition, but a few slots are still being discussed.
One such slot is for the spin-bowling all-rounder, which Ravindra Jadeja has held firmly for several years. He has been a consistent performer, so other options for this role have only got chances when he was unavailable. However, recently trends have changed, and the emergence of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, equally potent with the bat while also being bowlers primarily, means Jadeja’s place in the XI is not guaranteed anymore.
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Ravindra Jadeja’s last ODI assignment came during the 2023 World Cup, and India hasn’t played enough fifty-over cricket since then. His absence from the Sri Lanka ODIs the previous year sparked a debate about whether India are looking beyond him. However, the selectors later clarified he was in the scheme of things and not dropped.
Jadeja’s white-ball bowling has improved massively in the last few years, and his wicket-taking ability and defensive skillsets have been at their all-time best. Between 2019 and 2021, Jadeja had an ODI average of 57.85 and an economy rate of 5.11, but since 2022, he has taken a wicket every 28.50 deliveries and conceded only 4.58 runs per over.
However, his batting abilities have regressed significantly, and his power-hitting expertise against pace is nowhere near his peak. As his bowling returns have improved, his batting has gone downhill in the same period. He has an average of 31.36 and a strike rate of 73.24 since 2022, which is below average for someone who needs to do the finishing job.
Axar Patel can be a direct swap with Ravindra Jadeja in any format. However, their skillsets are relatively distinct, even though both are the same type of players. Axar’s bowling value is not as high as Jadeja’s in the 50-over format.
Axar is more of a defensive spinner who can bowl tight lines and lengths, but he doesn’t seem to be a bowler who can bowl 10 overs consistently unless the deck heavily supports spinners. He has bowled in 55 ODIs but completed his spell only 50.90% of the time.
Batting-wise, Axar edges Jadeja, especially after his recent rise. However, Axar is mostly a spin-hitter who can be restricted against pacers, and his role will require facing speedsters in the death overs. While Jadeja’s batting has regressed, he still specialises in pace-hitting, unlike Axar. Promoting Axar up the order remains an option, however, it is questionable as to how frequently India might need that given how strong their middle-order is.
Washington Sundar’s rise has made him a potential candidate for a spot in the playing XI of the Champions Trophy 2025. He is a quality operator who can bowl defensive lines and bring wickets in the middle overs. His bowling figures are really encouraging in his short ODI career.
However, his batting value is not up to the mark for shorter formats because he seems to be shy of the adequate aggressive gears that modern limited-overs cricket demands. He can manoeuvre the fields, but his role will be to bat at a high strike-rate, which Sundar hasn’t done consistently. He can’t play as a finisher at all either.
Bowling-wise, he might be on par, if not slightly below, in comparison to Jadeja and Axar, but batting-wise, he is nowhere close to either of them in white-ball cricket. Playing him in the XI would mean having a specialist spinner who can hold his bat a bit in the lower order.
Despite his regressed batting returns, Ravindra Jadeja might be the best option to slot into the playing XI. His bowling is perfectly suited, and he is a proven performer. Unlike Axar, he can give ten overs consistently.
Axar can be an option if India want more batting depth, but that would reduce the bowling quality. India have enough batters, and Jadeja is not completely disabled as a batter, either. In fact, he is more suited to take on pacers than Axar.
Meanwhile, Washington’s batting value doesn’t inspire any confidence. They already have Kuldeep Yadav as a genuine wicket-taker, so the other spinner must contribute with the willow. Jadeja has done this role perfectly and should continue to take that No.7 spot in the Champions Trophy.
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