Former Indian cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh has strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for leaving out Ravindra Jadeja from the ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia. Ramesh expressed disappointment over the decision and questioned the explanation given by chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
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Kuldeep Yadav has been chosen as the only specialist spinner in the squad, while Washington Sundar and Axar Patel were picked as all-round spin options. Ramesh said he was unable to understand why Jadeja was ignored despite his consistent performances in white-ball cricket.
"The selector is saying that Jadeja was included in the Champions Trophy squad because India took extra spinners there. Is he some extra baggage? Jadeja is a white-ball legend. Will you select him only when you have space for extra players?" Ramesh said on his YouTube channel.
He also pointed out that the selectors had rewarded players like Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel based on their recent form but failed to do the same for Jadeja. "Gill was made captain because of his performances in England. In that same series, Jadeja also performed brilliantly. He scored a century and took four wickets in the West Indies Test too. Dhruv Jurel got an ODI call-up after scoring a hundred against the same team, so why not Jadeja?" Ramesh questioned.
The former opener further said that Jadeja’s contributions to Indian cricket in both batting and bowling make him a vital player, not someone to be sidelined. He believes Jadeja deserves more respect and trust from the selectors.
Responding to the criticism, Ajit Agarkar clarified that Jadeja remains an important part of India’s long-term plans but admitted that competition for spots in the squad is high. "He is very much in the plans. We had extra spinners for the Champions Trophy because of the conditions. For this series, we needed more balance, so we went with Washi (Washington Sundar) and Kuldeep. At the moment, that’s what the team requires," Agarkar explained.
The decision, however, has sparked debate among fans and former players who believe that leaving out an experienced player like Jadeja just before a big tournament could affect team balance and morale.