Ravindra Jadeja’s Selection In Champions Trophy Shocks Ex-CSK Star!! Questions Ajit Agarkar

The former Indian batter, Subramaniam Badrinath, has expressed his surprise at the inclusion of the left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the three-match ODI series against England at home.

The bilateral series will be followed by the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to begin on February 19. Badrinath reckoned that Jadeja wouldn’t get a place in the blue brigade’s playing eleven.

The first 50-over clash of the series will take place in Nagpur before the action moves to Cuttack for the second game and Narendra Modi Stadium for the third encounter.

Ravindra Jadeja’s recent form

India had already kept four spinners, Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav in the first-choice squad before bringing him Varun Chakravarthy.

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Ravindra Jadeja had a decent time with the bat in the recently concluded five-match Test series down under in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He smashed a half-century during the fourth Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

With the BCCI making it mandatory for the national players to be part of the domestic games, Ravindra Jadeja returned to be part of the Saurashtra side against Delhi at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. He enjoyed 12 wickets in the clash. There was a little concern about his fitness when he didn’t bowl a single over in the very next game. However, the management revealed it was a precautionary decision to give the spinner a break.

Subramaniam Badrinath shocked at CSK spinner’s inclusion

During the recent discussion on Star Sports’ show Game Plan, Badrinath felt that the Gujarat-born was a surprise selection for him in the bilateral series.

“There are a few spots which are a little bit tricky. I am honestly surprised Ravindra Jadeja is in the squad. I didn't expect him to be in the squad because there is very little space for him in the XI.” Badrinath expressed in the show.

The veteran also claimed that the 36-year-old might not be a part of the playing eleven for the Indian team against the Jos Buttler-led side.

“So why would you take a player in the squad who might not feature in the actual playing XI? So that is a little bit tricky.” The former Tamil Nadu batter explained.

He reckoned that only the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, would bring a different angle and provide unique attributes to their bowling line-up.

“Rohit likes him. Rohit has been backing Kuldeep Yadav since he took over the captaincy. He does whatever the other spinners don't do. Kuldeep Yadav is a wrist spinner. He is slower through the air.” He mentioned it on the same show.

He went a step forward to predict that the Uttar Pradesh-born could be a trump card for the home side in the middle overs against England, who struggled extremely against the spinners in the T20I series.

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“He is brave. He is the best option to go to in the middle overs. We have seen many of these foreign teams. They find it hard to read a bowler like Kuldeep Yadav.” Badrinath concluded.

Ravindra Jadeja competes with this player

Ravindra Jadeja will compete with Axar Patel for selection in the playing eleven. His experience of 197 ODIs is expected to keep him ahead in the race. The left-arm spinner has notched up 2756 runs at an average of 32.42 and a strike rate of 85.06.

With the ball, the Chennai Super Kings spinner has enjoyed 220 wickets in 189 innings at an average of 36.07, a strike rate of 44.3, and an economy rate of less than five.