'Jadeja isn't good enough to bat...': Agarkar sent 'Axar Patel is a match-winner' suggestion ahead of T20WC selection

Even as veteran cricketers and experts openly included his name in their preferred 15-member India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, a few former players have raised a fresh selection headache for BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who is all set to name India's squad on Wednesday. They have raised a question over Ravindra Jadeja's suitability at the No. 7 spot in the Indian batting lineup amid his poor run of form in the ongoing IPL 2024, insisting that the team needs a better ball striker at that position to make an impact on the scoring rate. Experts have raised concerns over Ravindra Jadeja's batting

Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody is among the first to flag the concern amid reports that Agarkar met India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday in New Delhi on the sidelines of the ongoing IPL 2024 tournament. He reckons that Jadeja's strike rate of 131.93 in IPL 2024 is not enough for him to take the finisher's spot in the playing XI for India.

HT launches Crick-it, a one stop destination to catch Cricket, anytime, anywhere. Explore now!

“I'd be taking Jadeja purely because I'm looking for the best left-arm spinning option. He's the best left-arm spinner in the country. In my eleven, he's not batting at No.7. I don't think he's good enough to bat seven in a World Cup side. He's proven that with his strike rate. You need an impact-type player batting at seven,” he told Star Sports.

Part of the same panel, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan admitted that he is quite worried about Jadeja's batting numbers. In fact, the strike rate is exactly the same for the Chennai Super Kings star in India colours since 2022, where he has scored 141 runs in seven innings at No. 6 or 7.

“This is what I'm really scared about when it comes to World Cup. Look, my worry is with T20 World Cup, we pretty much sorted as far as the top-order batting is concerned. We pretty much sorted in the middle overs as well. If we're thinking Ravindra Jadeja is a number seven batter, you need a good finisher. His numbers are not that great as far as the strike rate is concerned at the international level," he added.

Former BCCI selector Kris Srikkanth however backed Jadeja as a first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder despite labelling his competitor Axar Patel as a “match-winner”, owing to his sheer experience in international cricket.

He said: “I'll tell you what Jadeja will be in the 11, I mean adding on to whatever Irfan had said about his strike rate but Axar will also be in the 15. Axar is also potential match winner you have to understand that. Axar can bat brilliantly, bowl brilliantly, field brilliantly. But the first choice will go to Jadeja at number 7 by sheer experience and the way he's played international cricket in the past and he's a big match player. Jadeja is a big match player but similarly Axar Patel has done very well so both Jadeja and Axar Patel will be there. Probably the first nod will go to Jadeja for the first match and then probably Axar Patel. Both of them are equally important for me, it’s like my right eye and left eye which one do I choose?”

Click here to read article