India's veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s eight-word response cleared the air on his 2027 World Cup future. When the Indian squad for the upcoming Australian tour was announced, the omission of star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja raised many eyebrows. This immediate raised speculation that the team management might not view him as central to their plans for the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place two years from now.
Jadeja ends retirement rumors
This speculation was fueled by the context of other senior players. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having been directed to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to be considered for future ODI selections, many speculated that Jadeja could be grouped with the duo. This suggested that, much like Kohli and Sharma, Jadeja might also be falling out of reckoning for ODI cricket.
However, following the end of Day 2 of the Delhi Test match against the West Indies, Ravindra Jadeja attended the post-day press conference and decisively put an end to all rumors regarding his ODI retirement plans.
"I want to play 2027 World Cup obviously," Jadeja said.
Ravindra Jadeja on his snub from Australia ODIs
The 36-year-old also reacted to his snub from India's ODI squad for the upcoming Australia tour. The star all-rounder made it clear that he still harbors strong hopes of playing in the 2027 World Cup. Although Jadeja was a crucial part of India's victorious 2017 Champions Trophy campaign, his non-inclusion in the squad for the tour down under immediately raised questions about his future in the 50-over format.
With India scheduled to play a limited number of ODIs before the next World Cup, many in the cricketing community believed this exclusion might signify the end of the road for the veteran all-rounder in the format. Speaking at the post-day press conference after Day 2 of the Delhi Test, Jadeja sought to quell the rumors. He acknowledged that the team management and selectors must have had a specific rationale behind their decision and confirmed that he was given proper communication regarding his snub.
"See, this is not in my hands. I mean, I want to play the World Cup, of course, but at the end of the day, there’s some thinking from the team management, selectors, coach, and captain — why they didn’t keep me in this series. There must be some reason behind it. And they spoke to me — it’s not like I got a surprise when the team was announced that I’m not there. So that’s a good thing, that the captain, selector, and coach spoke to me about what they were thinking and the reason behind it. So I’m happy about that," veteran all-rounder added.
However, Jadeja remains highly optimistic about earning a spot in the next World Cup. He stated that he is prepared to seize any future opportunity with both hands. The all-rounder admitted that winning the World Cup remains his ultimate dream, suggesting that there is still "some unfinished business" after India came agonizingly close to the title in the 2023 final.
"But whenever the next opportunity comes, obviously, I’ll try to do what I’ve been doing all these years. And like you said about the major tournament — the World Cup — if I get a chance there, before that there are quite a few ODIs. If I do well in those and get the opportunity, obviously it’ll be good for Indian cricket. And yes, winning the World Cup is everyone’s dream. Last time in the 50-over World Cup, we fell short by a little, so this time, if possible, we’ll try to finish what was left incomplete," Jadeja concluded.