Ravindra Jadeja's exit justified, warned about seniority as Rohit Sharma's best friend names Axar Patel

The selection panel and the newly-appointed Indian team management sprung several surprises in the recently announced squad for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka.

While several changes were indeed expected in both the squads under the new management, the selectors still managed to raise several eyebrows with some of their calls.

One such call was not including Ravindra Jadeja in the ODI squad. The veteran allrounder retired from T20Is last month after India's victory in the tournament and was expected to be a part of the ODI setup.

Ravindra Jadeja's last ODI appearance came in the World Cup last year. The spin-bowling allrounder had a fine campaign in the competition as India finished runners-up.

In 11 games, he had picked up 16 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of less than 4. The selectors, however, decided against recalling him for the upcoming series, much to the surprise of May.

Pragyan Ojha on Ravindra Jadeja's exclusion:

Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha has also shared his views on the selectors' bold call to not include Ravindra Jadeja in the ODI squad. The former cricketer backed the selectors' decision and said that the main reason behind Jadeja's exclusion from the ODI team is Axar Patel's good displays in recent months. Ojha went on to praise Axar as well, saying that the allrounder can make an impact at any stage of the game.

"If we talk about the last 6-8 months, the impact Axar Patel has put, it has challenged Ravindra Jadeja really very well. This is the quality that has changed in cricket. Your seniority or if you have come in the team right now won't determine if you will play or not in the team.

"I think Axar has made that claim in the field, in the ball, in the field. The biggest advantage is that he can play in every situation, especially in power play, the way he has made an impact," said Pragyan Ojha in an interview with Sports Tak arranged by Sony Sports Network.

"So I think the way cricket is evolving, you have to get in sync with it. Ravindra Jadeja has done really well for the country over the years. But if you look at the current situation, Axar has presented his claim and the way it is going, I think it will be very unfair to get him out of the team," he added.

Meanwhile, the three-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will begin on August 2. Before the ODIs, both the teams are also set to play a three-match T20I series, due to begin on July 27.