Behind Jadeja's ODI Absence, An Assurance From Gambhir, Agarkar: Report

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the tour of Sri Lanka, some bold decisions were taken. The decision to pick Suryakumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya as the T20I skipper left many stunned while the absence of Ravindra Jadeja from the ODI side was another head-scratcher. Jadeja, who announced retirement from the T20I format, was expected to lead India’s pin attack in the island nation but his name was nowhere to be seen in the roster. With India scheduled to play just 6 ODIs before the Champions Trophy next year, Jadeja’s absence from the 50-over side, was deemed by many as a decision that could be long-lasting.

However, it has now been reported that Jadeja wasn’t dropped but only rested from the Sri Lanka assignment. The BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar, in consultation with head coach Gautam Gambhir, has reportedly informed Jadeja that he remains the team’s No. 1 spin-bowling all-rounder in one-day cricket. However, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the selectors and the coach wanted to try Axar Patel in the role, wanting to see if he can repeat his T20 cricket heroics in the 50-over format.

But, as far as Jadeda’s future is concerned, he has been assured of a return on the forthcoming assignments.

The report also shed light on Yuzvendra Chahal’s situation in the Indian team. The leg-spinner wasn’t picked for either the T20I side or the ODI side by selectors, despite being a part of the team’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. Chahal is a world-class bowler but he has had quite a strange international career over the last 3 years or so. He didn’t even get to play a single game in the T20 World Cup campaign, as the team management preferred Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja.

According to the report, the selectors have put Chahal’s case on ‘hold’.