India chief selector Ajit Agarkar dismissed the speculations that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was dropped for the upcoming three-match away ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Agarkar’s clarification came in the wake of a report from the Hindustan Times that claimed that Jadeja is no longer part of the team’s plans for the ODIs.
Days ago, India named a full-fledged squad for their upcoming three-match away ODI series against Sri Lanka with Jadeja a notable exclusion.
According to a source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national men’s team’s selectors, led by newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, want to provide ample opportunities to Axar Patel and Washington Sundar ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place in Pakistan.
“There are only six ODIs, including the three in Sri Lanka, before next year’s Champions Trophy. The selectors want to utilise the handful of games by giving more opportunities to Axar Patel and Washington Sundar,” Hindustan Times quoted a BCCI source.
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Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar clarified that Ravindra Jadeja was rested, not dropped from the ODI squad. He then went on to term the all-rounder’s exclusion a strategic move, made in light of a busy Test season.
“It would have been really pointless to take both Axar and Jaddu for a three-match series,” Agarkar said.
“He has had a terrific World Cup. Not at all dropped. Either of them wouldn’t have featured in games had we taken him. There’s a big test season coming up. I think probably we should have clarified it when the squad was announced. He is still part of the format. He is a very important player for us,” he added.
Notably, Jadeja boasts a formidable all-round record in ODIs, scoring 644 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 84 since India’s gut-wrenching defeat against New Zealand in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019.
His performance with the ball has also been up to the mark, picking 44 wickets at an average of 37 and an economy of 4.9 economy.
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