Overview
- On an optional training day in Rajkot, Ravindra Jadeja stayed late to hit in the power-hitting nets and bowled for over an hour to lock in his lengths, signaling intent to firm up his ODI spot.
- India’s selectors recently left him out of the Australia ODIs and played Axar Patel instead, with team management keeping the younger like-for-like option fresh for the T20 World Cup.
- Jadeja said he welcomed the clarity around his omission and vowed to contribute when picked, as he features in the current ODI series against New Zealand.
- His recent ODI returns have dipped, with six wickets in nine matches since last year’s Champions Trophy and no half-century since 2020, sharpening scrutiny of his white-ball impact.
- Former Saurashtra teammates describe him as apolitical and relentlessly self-improving, while coaches note limited ODIs over the next six months and South Africa’s truer pitches could favor more defensive finger spin.