Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Ravindra Jadeja's days in the ODI set-up can be numbered with Axar Patel being "right on his heels". This comes after Jadeja's poor all-round display in the recently-conluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand. He scored just 43 runs and ended up going wicketless in the assignment and thus came under sharp criticism.
Ashwin said that the road ahead looks to be very difficult for Jadeja. He further said that it is the all-rounder's batting that is letting him down the most, adding that his low strike-rate against spinners isn't helping his outlook.
“See, it is a very challenging time for Jadeja. We all know that Axar Patel is right back on his heels. The fact is that Jadeja has done well in ODIs; he is also playing the Test format. But it isn't easy for Jadeja because it is more about his batting. There are talks emerging about his low strike rate against spinners. This is way too early on anybody's cricket or future,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“We have the T20 World Cup and the IPL after this. Remember that Jadeja will play the IPL. The performances there will lead to a decision. It is too early to make a decision on anybody,” he added.
Ashwin's key advice for Jadeja
Ashwin also advised Jadeja to experiment with his abilities in the bowling department. He highlighted how the latter is already a certified legend for Team India and has nothing to lose so he can try to add to his arsenal. Ashwin revealed that he has seen Jadeja even bowl a carrom ball in the nets, but he has never tried to bowl it during a match.
“Jadeja's strength sometimes turns into his weakness. I sometimes get jealous. The kind of ability he has skills in batting, bowling and fielding. But he doesn't do one thing? He never goes out of his strengths. He has never really flirted with new things,” Ashwin stated.
“He is a bona fide legend. He has nothing to lose, so I would like to see him experiment. I have seen him bowling carrom ball in the net practice, but he has never done so in a match. Would love to see him get a bit funky,” he further added.
Jadeja's next assignment
Meanwhile, Jadeja's next competitive assignment will most likely be IPL 2026 where he will be featuring for the Rajasthan Royals. On the other hand, he may have to wait for quite a bit to play for India in international cricket as the team's next scheduled ODI assignment will be held in June and it will be against England. The Men in Blue do not have any Test assignments scheduled for the year as of yet.