IND vs NZ: Ravindra Jadeja's Exclusion from India's ODI Squad Raises Questions Over Words vs Actions

Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was dropped from India's ODI squad for the New Zealand series. Aakash Chopra questioned the selectors' consistency, suggesting Axar Patel has moved ahead of Jadeja in plans for the 2027 World Cup, despite Jadeja's recent domestic success.

Ravindra Jadeja with Head Coach Gautam Gambhir

Image Credit: ANI

Indian veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s exclusion from the ODI squad for the five-match series against New Zealand became a topic of debate following the squad announcement, which took place on Friday, October 16, 2026.

The interim chief selector Pragyan Ojha’s team selected the squad for the tour party for the upcoming assignment, which spans five ODIs beginning in Auckland on November 4, 2026. Two different ODI squads were selected for the New Zealand tour, reflecting a strategic split as leadership managed player workloads and rotated personnel across the matches.

In the first three ODI matches, Shubman Gill will captain the Men in Blue, and in the final two matches, leadership duties will transition to Shreyas Iyer. However, in both ODI squads, the veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s name was missing, although he was included in the Test squad for the two-match series against New Zealand.

'A Massive Difference in What You Say and Do'

Ravindra Jadeja’s snub from India’s ODI squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, despite featuring in the first two ODI matches against the West Indies, prompted former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra to question the team management's consistency regarding player selection and long-term planning.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India opener pointed out the stark contrast between selectors' public statements and their actual choices. He added that despite promises of including Jadeja in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup plans, his near-total absence from recent ODI setups tells a very different story:

“Ravindra Jadeja not being there is a big thing. Many people haven't spoken about it. You are playing him very little anyway,” Aakash said.

“You said that he is an integral part of our team, that he is part of your 2027 World Cup plans, but it doesn't seem like that—because there is a massive difference being seen in what you say and what you do," he added.

Ravindra Jadeja was excluded from the ODI squad for the series against Australia, Afghanistan, and England since October last year, further fueling speculation that the selectors and team management have quietly shifted focus toward building a core for the 2027 ODI World Cup without the 37-year-old veteran.

Is ,Axar Patel, Securing the Primary Spot?

Further speaking on Ravindra Jadeja’s exclusion from the ODI squad for the series against New Zealand, the former India opener observed that Axar Patel appears to have firmly taken precedence in the team's white-ball blueprint in the build-up to the marquee event.

“You played him against the West Indies just now, and you didn't play him in the third match there either. Here, you have neither picked him for the first three matches nor the last two matches,” Aakash Chopra said.

“Axar Patel has run so far ahead in this race that it seems like the selectors have made up their minds about Ravindra Jadeja,” he added.

Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a century in Saurashtra’s opening Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh in Rajkot, scoring a resilient 102 off 209 balls to register his 16th first-class hundred, proved that his match-readiness and appetite for long formats remain unblemished.

However, the veteran Indian all-rounder, who has aggregated 254 runs and picked up 27 wickets in 21 ODI World Cup matches since 2015, has been a reliable performer for the Men in Blue in major ICC tournaments.

Now, his place in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad seems increasingly uncertain as the team management looks to groom younger alternatives for the marquee tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.