Ravindra Jadeja has firmly addressed speculation about his future in Indian ODI cricket and his plans for the 2027 World Cup following a standout three-wicket performance against the West Indies in the second Test. His recent omission from India’s squad for the Australia ODIs led to widespread discussion, with questions arising about whether he remains in the team’s long-term plans for the upcoming World Cup. Many observers drew parallels to similar situations involving senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both reportedly asked to participate in domestic tournaments to be considered for future ODI selection.
Speaking during the post-day press conference after India’s Test in Delhi, Jadeja decisively cleared up the rumors about possible retirement from the ODI format. He made his intentions clear with an eight-word statement: “I want to play 2027 World Cup obviously,” directly signaling his motivation for the next ICC event.
Jadeja On ODI SNUB
Jadeja also commented on not being included in India’s squad for the Australia ODIs, explaining that he maintains strong hopes about his World Cup participation. He mentioned that his non-selection was communicated openly, stressing, “See, this is not in my hands. I mean, I want to play the World Cup, of course, but at the end of the day, there’s some thinking from the team management, selectors, coach, and captain why they didn’t keep me in this series. There must be some reason behind it. And they spoke to me — it’s not like I got a surprise when the team was announced that I’m not there. So that’s a good thing, that the captain, selector, and coach spoke to me about what they were thinking and the reason behind it. So I’m happy about that.”
Jadeja remains optimistic about reclaiming a spot in the squad and aims to continue delivering strong performances in domestic and international fixtures. He acknowledged the recent heartbreak of narrowly missing out on the title in the 2023 World Cup final and expressed his ongoing ambition: “But whenever the next opportunity comes, obviously, I’ll try to do what I’ve been doing all these years. And like you said about the major tournament the World Cup if I get a chance there, before that there are quite a few ODIs. If I do well in those and get the opportunity, obviously it’ll be good for Indian cricket. And yes, winning the World Cup is everyone’s dream. Last time in the 50-over World Cup, we fell short by a little, so this time, if possible, we’ll try to finish what was left incomplete.”Ravindra Jadeja has put to rest all speculation regarding his ODI retirement and his intentions for the 2027 World Cup after his impressive three-wicket haul against the West Indies in the second Test. His exclusion from the ODI squad for Australia’s upcoming tour fueled rumors about his future in the format, especially with discussions around senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also intensifying.
In a post-match press conference, Jadeja made his position clear and stated, “I want to play 2027 World Cup obviously,” directly addressing the question about his World Cup ambitions. He elaborated on the team selection process, sharing, “See, this is not in my hands. I mean, I want to play the World Cup, of course, but at the end of the day, there’s some thinking from the team management, selectors, coach, and captain why they didn’t keep me in this series. There must be some reason behind it. And they spoke to me — it’s not like I got a surprise when the team was announced that I’m not there. So that’s a good thing, that the captain, selector, and coach spoke to me about what they were thinking and the reason behind it. So I’m happy about that.”
Despite his recent snub, Jadeja remains upbeat about future opportunities and is motivated to continue working towards his World Cup aspirations. He reflected on India’s narrow loss in the previous 50-over World Cup and said, “But whenever the next opportunity comes, obviously, I’ll try to do what I’ve been doing all these years. And like you said about the major tournament the World Cup if I get a chance there, before that there are quite a few ODIs. If I do well in those and get the opportunity, obviously it’ll be good for Indian cricket. And yes, winning the World Cup is everyone’s dream. Last time in the 50-over World Cup, we fell short by a little, so this time, if possible, we’ll try to finish what was left incomplete.