Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has shared his assessment of India’s all-rounder options as the team begins planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup. With the tournament scheduled to take place across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, India are expected to focus on building a balanced squad capable of handling different playing conditions.

According to Nayar, Axar Patel currently leads the race to become India’s first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder, while Ravindra Jadeja remains an important backup option. He believes the team management could turn to the experienced left-arm spinner if Axar becomes unavailable due to an injury before the global tournament.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s Out or Not Out, Abhishek Nayar explained why Jadeja continues to hold an important position in India’s World Cup plans despite his recent absence from the ODI setup. “If something happens to Axar Patel before the World Cup, Ravindra Jadeja will come into the team. Jaddu might not come back into the team, but if someone gets injured, the first name that will come to mind will be Jaddu. Because after Axar, there is no one,” Nayar said.

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The former assistant coach further clarified that Axar has moved ahead of Jadeja in India’s current ODI combination, although the latter remains a reliable alternative. “Currently, the frontrunner is Axar Patel, and after him, Jaddu is still your insurance policy,” he explained.

Jadeja’s omission from India’s recent ODI series against New Zealand has also raised questions about his future in the format. Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara recently shared his thoughts on the selection decision, suggesting that the team management may have already communicated its plans to the veteran all-rounder.

Cheteshwar Pujara believes Axar has established himself as India’s preferred all-rounder in ODI cricket and is receiving greater backing from the selectors and team management. “I believe so, because if you want to keep Ravindra Jadeja in ODI cricket, then he should have been selected. I’m sure it was communicated to him that he might not be selected because Axar Patel has been the main all-rounder in ODI cricket and is being given more opportunities,” Pujara said.

The former India batter also suggested that Jadeja’s age and recent decisions could influence his future in white-ball cricket. The left-arm all-rounder has already retired from T20 Internationals, leaving his role in the ODI setup under greater scrutiny.

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“Looking at his age, I feel the team management might have told him that he is now only a part of Test cricket, so he should focus there, and that they are not looking at him for white-ball cricket. So, it could be the end of the road because, obviously, he has retired from T20 Internationals. I feel he might not be selected just for the ODIs,” he added.

With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, India’s all-rounder combination remains an important selection question, with Axar currently positioned ahead of Jadeja in Nayar’s assessment.