Ravindra Jadeja's ODI career over? Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on Australia tour snub

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, has finally opened up on the snub of the veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja from the ODI squad for the Australia tour.

Ajit Agarkar confirmed that the 36-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is not the first choice of the team in ODI cricket, but remains in contention for the future matches.

Right now, we could only take one left-arm spinner for the Australia series - Ajit Agarkar

On Saturday, October 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced the T20I and ODI squads of the India National Cricket Team for the Australia tour.

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Shubman Gill was named as the new ODI skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma at the helm despite the latter being present in the squad. Another major talking point coming out of the squad selection was the snub of Ravindra Jadeja.

The senior all-rounder doesn't find a place in the squad as the selection committee has decided to pick Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav as the three spin-bowling options.

Axar Patel is a vital member of the Indian batting unit in the ODI setup, and his sensational left-arm spin-bowling gives him an edge. He is likely to be part of India's starting XI in Australia.

However, the absence of Ravindra Jadeja surprised many as he was part of India's last ODI assignment - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - and played a vital role in the triumph.

Justifying his non-selection, Ajit Agarkar said that they could only take one left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder for the Australia tour; hence, Axar Patel got the nod ahead of Jadeja. Agarkar also made it clear that Jadeja remains in their plans for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

“Right now, we could only take one left-arm spinner for the Australia series. It wasn’t possible to fit in two. Ravindra Jadeja is absolutely in our plans — everyone knows how good he is and what he offers as an all-rounder and a fielder," Agarkar stated in the press conference.

But for this short series, we wanted to maintain balance - Ajit Agarkar

Agarkar further stated that they wanted to maintain a balance in the squad for the short series in Australia, and that was only possible in the absence of Jadeja. He stated:

“But for this short series, we wanted to maintain balance with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad."

The BCCI added that Jadeja's quality is unquestioned and he is part of the plans for the future ODI games. He said:

“This is a short series — you can’t fit everyone in," Agarkar explained. Jadeja’s quality is unquestioned. He’s very much part of our plans going forward."

Ravindra Jadeja bags Player of the Match in 1st Test vs West Indies

On the day Ravindra Jadeja was snubbed from the India squad for Australia ODIs, he won the Player of the Match award for his heroics against West Indies in 1st Test.

He slammed a sensational century and followed it up with a four-wicket haul. Speaking after winning the Player of the Match award, he said that he has been working hard on his batting. He said:

"Yeah, I have been working hard with my batting. We had a two-month off, there was no Test cricket or ODIs. I was working on my fitness and I went to the Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, worked on my skills and fitness there.

"Yeah, absolutely (on his recent batting form). I had been batting at number 8 and 9 a few years ago but now I got my place at 6. I have time to prepare myself and I can pace my innings. I don't need to hurry, I don't need to rush unnecessarily. I can go out there, take my time and just pace my innings."

Also Read: Ajit Agarkar orders Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to play Vijay Hazare Trophy to save international careers