Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian cricketer, has advised his zebras in spin art, Ravindra Jadeja, to test and confirmed to him that it is no easier times for the opulent spin bowling all-rounder in ODIs with A. Patel’s being ready to jump into his place at a major hiccup.
Ravi Jadeja’s dip in performance post-Champions Trophy 2025 was marked by another poor performance in the final ODI against New Zealand at Indore, where he gave away 41 runs in six overs without getting a wicket while bowling, and had a slow 12-ball 16-run innings.
Jadeja’s slump has been very severe since last year’s ICC Champions Trophy win as he has only one wicket to his name in six ODIs with a staggering average of 298 and a whopping economy rate of 6.2. His batting performances have been of 99 runs for five innings at 24.75 average and a top score of 32, but his strike rate has dropped to 88.39, which is not an impressive figure for someone playing up the order in a team expected to finish well.
Speaking at the show ‘Ash ki Baat’ Ashwin stated, “You see, this is a very hard time for Jadeja. We all are aware that Axar Patel is already up to him. When it comes to performances, Jadeja has done quite well in ODIs; he is also participating in the Test format.” But it is not easy for Jadeja since it has more to do with his batting. He has had times when his strike-rate against spinners has been low. It is too early for any one to speculate on or say anything about the cricketer’s future,” he said.
Speaking at the show ‘Ash ki Baat’, he stated that while Jadeja will be in the IPL, and the performance there could decide, it is too early to judge the player’s performances.
“We still have the T20 World Cup and then the IPL. Don’t forget, Jadeja will be available for the IPL. The decision will depend on the performances there. It is still too early to decide about anyone,” he stated.
He also mentioned that Jadeja’s strengths are so strong that they sometimes become his weaknesses as he won’t “flirt with new things”. He encouraged him to “experiment” more, claiming that he has “nothing to lose” as a superstar in the sport.
“Jadeja’s strength sometimes turns into his weakness, and I sometimes get envious. The kind of ability he has is in all three areas of the game – batting, bowling, and fielding. But what he does not do? He never goes beyond his strengths. He has never really flirted with new things,” Ashwin said.
“He is a genuine legend. He has nothing to lose, so I would like to see him experiment. I have seen him bowling with the carrom ball in the nets, but he has never done it in a match. I would love to see him getting a bit funky,” he added.
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