Is Ravindra Jadeja's ODI role surviving on borrowed time?

Ravindra Jadeja endured a difficult three‑match ODI series against New Zealand, scoring just 43 runs at 14.33 with a strike rate of 66.15. With the ball, he finished the series wicketless, unable to provide the breakthroughs India needed in crunch moments.

For a senior player expected to play a pivotal role with both the bat and ball in hand, Jadeja’s muted returns became one of the factors that tilted the series away from India.

The bigger concern for India is that Jadeja’s struggles in this series weren’t isolated. They fit into a broader pattern of diminishing influence in ODIs, raising questions about his long‑term place in the format.

Diminishing batting returns and an underwhelming series with the bat

Across the series, Jadeja repeatedly walked into situations that demanded composure and intent, the kind of moments where a senior all‑rounder is expected to rise to the occasion. Instead, the impact never arrived.

In the first ODI, he fell for four at a stage where India needed 62 off 60, a position that required calm hands. The second fixture presented a classic rebuild scenario with India at 115/3 in 21.3 overs, but his 27 off 44 couldn't lift the pressure off KL Rahul, who was left to carry the innings almost single‑handedly.

The pattern continued in the third ODI, where Jadeja walked in after Nitish Reddy’s dismissal with India needing 179 off 135 and Virat Kohli holding one end. 

His 12 off 16 did little to ease the mounting asking rate, leaving Kohli with an increasingly arduous climb. These struggles aren’t isolated blips; they mirror a persistent decline. Since the 2023 World Cup final, Jadeja has scored 149 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 29.8, numbers that underline his shrinking influence with the bat.

He hasn’t scored an ODI fifty since December 2020, and his last one in India came way back in January 2013 against England in Kochi.

A decline in penetration with the ball

Jadeja’s bowling returns have dipped sharply in the period following the 2023 World Cup final, and the New Zealand series only amplified that trend. Across the three ODIs, he went wicketless despite bowling in phases where India desperately needed breakthroughs. His spells read 6-0-41-0 (at 6.83) in the first ODI, 8-0-44-0 (at 5.50) in the second, and 9-0-56-0 (at 6.22) in the third, overs that couldn't build any pressure.

The broader picture is even more concerning. Since the 2023 World Cup final, Jadeja has taken just 12 wickets in 13 ODIs at an average of 45.16, a far cry from the incisive middle‑overs operator he once was.

Batters have increasingly played him out with ease, nullifying his angles, while India have struggled to extract wickets from his end. With Axar Patel offering similar control, Jadeja’s diminishing penetration with the ball has placed his place under sharper scrutiny than ever.

An ODI role drifting into borrowed time?

For over a decade, Jadeja has been one of India’s most trusted all‑format cricketers: a bankable presence with bat, ball, and in the field. But ODI cricket is evolving fast, and India’s needs in the format are shifting even quicker. With diminishing returns in both disciplines and batting numbers that no longer influence games, Jadeja’s place in the 50‑over setup is under more scrutiny than at any point in his career.

As India begin charting their path toward the 2027 ODI World Cup, the selectors will inevitably look for all‑rounders who can change games. Unless there is a sharp uptick in output, Jadeja's future in the format may well be living on borrowed time.