'He's very much in our plans': Ravindra Jadeja ‘in mix’ for 2027 ODI World Cup, says batting coach
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'He's very much in our plans': Ravindra Jadeja ‘in mix’ for 2027 ODI World Cup, says batting coach")
'He's very much in our plans' Jadeja ‘in mix’ for 2027 World Cup, says Kotak Photograph: (AFP)
Ravindra Jadeja remains firmly "in the mix" for the 2027 ODI World Cup, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed ahead of the West Indies series opener.
A day after the veteran batting pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli confirmed their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also brought Ravindra Jadeja’s name into the conversation, saying that the ace all-rounder remains ‘in the mix’ for the showpiece event in Africa 2027. With the three in their late 30s, questions were raised about their reflexes and ability to give 100% on the field in the lead-up to the World Cup, only for them to squash such chatter and put forward their ambitions to win the tournament.
Having last featured in an ODI earlier this year, Jadeja was named in the squad for the three-match series against the West Indies starting in Thiruvananthapuram.
"I think he is obviously in the mix," Kotak said during a media briefing on the eve of the series opener on Sunday (Sep 27). "I am not part of the selection [committee], so I don't know what their thinking is. I just think whoever is coming and playing for India, they are obviously part of the 20-25 players who possibly can be in the team.
"Jadeja is an outstanding all-rounder. We all know. You see his records. How the team will be set up and what kind of combination selectors, captain and head coach will go with is secondary. And there is time for that. But Jadeja, to me, is one of the best fielders we still have on a world level.
"He bowls, he bats and the experience he has, and I actually firmly believe that experience is something you cannot beat. So, like we see Rohit, we see Virat, [the same way] we see Jadeja. And that brings a lot to the team. Jadeja is obviously a very useful member of the team,” Kotak continued.
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With the ODI World Cup almost a year away, India will begin its quest for their third world title with the West Indies ODIs, and Kotak looks forward to it.
"West Indies as a team, they have skills," Kotak said. "There are some very good batters, some very good bowlers. So, it is a good series for us. For us, looking one year ahead, we have approximately about 30-31 One-Dayers. They are all important for us because we want to execute the way we want. Forget the opposition. If we can successfully do that, within a year's time, we should be ready for any challenges on any wicket,” he said.
