Aakash Chopra Expresses Concerns Over Ravindra Jadeja's Poor Form With Both Bat And Ball Ahead Of ODI World Cup 2023

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concerns over all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s batting performances ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. Aakash Chopra highlighted that Ravindra Jadeja’s batting strike rate has decreased, which is a worrying sign for India.

The former Indian opener highlighted Jadeja’s batting stats since the 2019 World Cup. Chopra stated that Jadeja’s average increased from 31.9 to 39.4 in the last four years. However, he said that the southpaw’s strike rate has gone down to 79.4, while his career strike rate is 84.2.

Ravindra Jadeja Is Still To Hit A Six In 2023 – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that Ravindra Jadeja is yet to hit a six in ODIs in 2023, emphasizing him to improve his batting performances as he bats at a crucial No.7 position.

“If you take out that innings of 45 not out, his average comes down to 15. That is not a good story. He bats down the order, but still there are a lot of single-digit scores,” Chopra said.

“Another aspect that is worrying is that he has played 243 balls in 2023, has hit nine fours and is still to hit a six. This is a bit shocking. Hopefully, he does it in the World Cup and the ODI series before that where he is the vice-captain. But the numbers are not good and it has to change as Jadeja is a very vital cog. We are talking about No. 8, but Jadeja needs to score at No. 7,” he added.

The left-handed batter managed to score 138 runs in 12 matches this year at an average of 23. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 45 runs against Australia to help the team register a five-wicket victory in Mumbai earlier this year.

It Is Again Not A Great Story – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra said that Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling performances in recent ODIs have not been exceptional. He further stated that Jadeja’s best performance came against Nepal in the Asia Cup.

“Looking at his bowling in ODIs in 2023, it is again not a great story. He has claimed 11 wickets in 12 matches, which includes two three-wicket hauls, one of which came against Nepal.”

“In the other 10 matches, he has claimed only five wickets. Not a good thing with the World Cup coming up. Since 2019 World Cup, he has been taking one wicket a game on an average.”

“The other thing that has been very good has been his economy. He’s been very economical, going at 4.5 runs per over since the start of 2023. It’s important for Jadeja to come into wicket-taking form,” he concluded.

Ravindra Jadeja will be next seen in action during the upcoming three-match series against Australia. The first ODI will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Friday, September 22.

Also read: IND vs BAN: Ravindra Jadeja Joins Kapil Dev In Elite List As He Achieves Unique ODI Record