Reports: Ravindra Jadeja no longer in plan for ODIs, selectors prefer Washington Sundar, Axar Patel

Star India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was dropped from India’s ODI squad for the series against Sri Lanka. There were reports of seniors taking a break from the series but captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decided to play, while Jasprit Bumrah has been given rest, keeping the upcoming Test series in mind. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, asked for a break due to personal reasons.  Meanwhile, Jadeja has been replaced by Washington Sundar and Axar Patel and as per reports, that will be the template going forward.

As things stand, Jadeja is not in BCCI’s plans for ODI cricket. The Men in Blue will play only six ODIs before the Champions Trophy and the goal is to use these six matches to give game time to Axar and Sundar. One of the sources close to the development told Hindustan Times that there’s nothing wrong with Jadeja’s performance but the management wants to build a team for the future.

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“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,” said a BCCI source.

“Nothing wrong with Jadeja's performance. The management just wants to look at other options as we have to build a team for the future,” he added.

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Notably, Axar was part of India’s squad in the ODI World Cup 2023 but an injury before the tournament ruled him out. Since then, he has done a commendable job in the shortest format of the game and was a key player for the Rohit Sharma-led side in the T20 World Cup 2024. He has played 57 ODI matches so far and picked up 60 wickets and scored 489 runs.

When it comes to Washington, the cricketer is expected to get opportunities in white-ball cricket. He had a good time in the recent Zimbabwe series and will be hoping to continue with the momentum.