IND vs NZ 2026: ‘Jadeja must perform in the next game’ - Irfan Pathan questions star all-rounder's approach in ODIs

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not hold back his words following the Indian team’s defeat in the second ODI vs New Zealand at Rajkot. In his assessment, the left-arm pacer questioned India’s premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s role in the current ODI set-up, criticizing the recent outings of the Saurashtra cricketer. 

The Men in Blue batted first and posted a competitive 284 for the loss of seven wickets, with KL Rahul anchoring the innings with a gritty 112-not out and Shubman Gill contributing a solid 56. However, India’s inability to convert starts into a bigger total and a struggling phase in the middle overs invited sharp criticism from Pathan. 

Although Jadeja added a solid 73-run partnership after the Indian top order’s mini collapse, he got out on 27, facing 44 balls in the process. Jadeja, who hasn't been able to showcase his best with the bat in 50-over cricket, has received criticism from Pathan, who believes that the 36-year-old should have batted with more intent. 

“Where did India lose the match? KL Rahul played with a strike rate of 90 [121.73], but Ravindra Jadeja only maintained a strike rate of 60 [61.36] during his innings of 27. Rajkot is also Jadeja’s home ground, Irfan said in a video on his YouTube channel after India lost the second match by seven wickets.

"If there is an all-rounder after Kapil Dev in Test cricket, it’s Jadeja. But when it comes to ODI cricket, Jadeja struggles in rotating the strike. He should’ve played with a strike rate of 80 and Jadeja couldn’t do it. Jadeja hasn’t scored a fifty in ODIs since 2020. He is under plenty of pressure,” Irfan added. 

The cricketer-turned-commentator further questioned Jadeja’s place in the squad ahead of fellow left-arm all-rounder Axar Patel, mentioning the left-arm spinner’s poor run with the ball in the last few ODI series. 

"With the ball, Jadeja has managed only one wicket in the last five games at 200. These are poor numbers for any senior player. Axar Patel is no doubt ahead of him. Jadeja must perform in the next game, as it was a decisive factor in India’s defeat," he added.

After a couple of underwhelming outings in the series, Jadeja will be having a lot of attention surrounding him for the series decider. The third and final match of the series will be played on Sunday, January 18 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore.