Jadeja faces serious competition, will have to convince selectors of his place in squad: Manjrekar

Ravindra Jadeja has become an indispensable member of the Indian team across formats in recent months, especially with his much-improved batting skills that has seen him evolve from a left-arm spinner who could bat to a genuine all-rounder. And his rocket arm and outstanding fielding skills besides his exploits with bat and ball further embellish the impressive CV of his. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, however, feels Jadeja is facing intense competition for places in the middle order as far as India’s batting department is concerned. This especially following the return of Hardik Pandya to the side as well as veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik’s resurgence in Indian colours following an immensely successful IPL 2022. “If he is going to be a batting all-rounder, then has got to show that he is an adequate replacement to somebody like a Dinesh Karthik, who is likely to bat at No. 6 or No. 7, or somebody like a Hardik Pandya at No. 6,” Manjrekar, who has turned to a career in commentary after retiring from the sport, told Sports18. Plus there’s the Axar Patel factor as well, with the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. Patel’s much-improved batting skills helped him get retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, and more recently, he was able to single-handedly use his batting skills to help Team India win games in their tour of the West Indies. “Ravindra Jadeja himself knows there is some serious competition coming in. So it’s really about Jadeja now convincing the selectors whether he is going to be a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder. Depending on that, his place in the team will be decided. “If he is competing as a bowling all-rounder, he has got to convince the team management that he is better than Axar Patel as a second spinning option,” added Manjrekar. Jadeja will next be seen in action in the Asia Cup, a crucial tournament from India’s perspective not only due to the prestige associated with it but for the fact that the tournament could play a key role in shaping the Men in Blue’s squad for the T20 World Cup later this year. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram