Jajdeja's retirement has left a major void in India's T20I team.
The Indian team recently won the T20 World Cup 2024, ending a 13-year jinx, having last won the ODI World Cup in 2011.
However, it was a bittersweet moment for the fans as with the World Cup win – three India veterans announced their retirement.
Star batter Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma along with premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hung up their boots in the shortest format. They will however continue to play in ODIs and Tests.
It will thus be of utmost importance and priority for the team management to fill in the voids with adept replacements.
While Ravindra Jadeja’s contribution was limited in the recent mega-event, he has been one of the most consistent performers for the side over the years, with both the bat and ball.
In this article, we will take a look at five such stars who can be a suitable replacement for Jadeja in India’s T20I squad.
Axar Patel is a like-for-like substitution. Like Jadeja, Axar is also a complete left-handed player and possesses tremendous versatility.
Apart from his ability to contribute with wickets in the middle overs, Axar has proved his mettle with the bat as well in the recent T20 World Cup 2024. He has also shown that he can bat up or down the order as and when required.
Axar’s arrival into the scene has really helped India and he has already evolved into an integral part of the Men in Blue.
Washington Sundar has already had quite an impact in the T20I format, representing India and has demonstrated his versatility both with bat and ball many times over. He is also currently part of the India team touring Zimbabwe.
Sundar has made a reputation for using the new ball so well, that when it comes to line and length, he hardly makes any errors in 20-over cricket. On the other hand, he can be more than useful as a striker rotator during difficult stages of innings or even later stages playing dynamic knocks across different batting positions.
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Riyan Parag is another talent that the India management can look to groom as Jadeja’s replacement. Parag, however, will come in with more on his batting credentials than bowling. Although Parag bowls in domestic cricket, he hasn’t bowled much in the IPL.
Parag’s inclusion will give India’s batting further depth and an additional batter who can also pitch in with a few overs.
Riyan too recently earned his maiden India debut in the ongoing Zimbabwe tour after having a stellar IPL 2024 season.
Sai Kishore is another solid option to fill in Ravindra Jadeja’s boots. The Tamil Nadu cricketer has already gone through the rigours of domestic cricket and has faced several match situations while bowling in different conditions against a range of opposition.
He could prove to be an asset to the Indian team because of the all-round ability he brings to the table. He can also be considered for the role of a pure spinner.
There’s enough potential if Sai Kishore consistently gets the opportunity to showcase his skills with the willow.
The young all-rounder from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) played a crucial role in helping his franchise qualify for the IPL 2024 final earlier this year.
Reddy had a breakout season with the bat, amassing 303 runs at an impressive strike rate of 142.92 while also picking up three wickets.
Not only is the youngster good with the bat he is also an able medium pacer who can bowl at decent clicks.
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