Former India player Aakash Chopra has said that Team India would have to choose between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja for the 2027 ODI World Cup. He added that Axar is ahead in the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders’ race, stating that Jadeja isn’t being given enough opportunities. However, Jadeja was part of India’s squad in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against the West Indies in Axar’s absence. He also played the first two games, but was left out of the playing XI for the final ODI as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “I would keep Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja’s names with a slash. However, no matter what they keep saying about Ravindra Jadeja, the truth is that there is a visible difference between what they say and what they do. We hear he is a very important member, but you are not playing him.”

“You should have played him in the last match as well because he also needs some game time. In my opinion, Axar Patel is ahead in that race. I feel Ravindra Jadeja is falling behind. Maybe the selectors have already made up their minds. If both remain fit, Axar has run ahead,” he again shared.

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However, Aakash Chopra shared that although Nitish Kumar Reddy is the frontrunner as the second seam-bowling all-rounder, he isn’t ready yet.

“If Hardik (Pandya) isn’t there, or else if you need one more seam-bowling all-rounder with Hardik, this is where the real discussion starts. One is Nitish Kumar Reddy. He is ahead of everyone else in the race at the moment. Nitish Kumar Reddy is there, but he is not ready yet,” he said.

“We are not allowing him to get ready. How are we going to prepare? Preparing Nitish Kumar Reddy is Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir’s biggest responsibility. If we fail in that responsibility, the World Cup can trouble us a lot if, God forbid, something happens to Hardik Pandya,” Chopra concluded.