New Delhi, India

India will start their campaign in the CWC 2023 edition on October 8 (Sunday) when they face Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. While India ticked most of the boxes in the Asia Cup and home ODIs versus Australia, Rohit Sharma & Co. would be concerned with Ravindra Jadeja's batting struggles. Jadeja has not made a solid impression in the limited opportunities in recent times while batting down the order. He has not scored a half-century in the ODI format since 2020. However, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar isn't concerned with Jadeja's low returns and mentions a key aspect of Jadeja. 

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In response to a question from Hindustan Times, Gavaskar stated, "Not really. With the kind of experience that he has, it's not a worry. The important thing is that he is such a fast runner between the wickets. Often, we overlook it… the fact that from the non-striker end, he helps the batter convert ones into twos. So, I think those are the little things that are important. So yeah, I am not worried after Ravindra Jadeja at all. He is a top player, a wonderful player… rockstar, like Shane Warne once said."

Also read: CWC '23: Rohit can afford to play the accumulator role and score big hundreds, feels former India batter

Batting mostly at No. 7 or 8, Jadeja has played some vital knocks down the order but has not made a significant contribution. In the third and final ODI between India and Australia, in Rajkot on September 27, the 34-year-old all-rounder had a chance to get some runs under his belt and regain confidence, given India were out of the contest reeling at 249 for 6 in pursuit of a mammoth 353. However, the left-hander was seen struggling to get momentum and returned for a 36-ball 35.

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The star all-rounder will be vital for India in the upcoming ODI World Cup at home. Not only with the ball, Jadeja will be needed with the bat as well -- down the order -- as Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led team management has often preferred batting depth. 

The CWC 2023 edition kicks off on October 5 (Thursday) with defending champions England taking on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. 

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