For the longest time, picking India’s left-arm spinning all-rounder in white-ball cricket was not a debate at all. If the team needed one, Ravindra Jadeja walked straight in. Axar Patel would be in the squad, but everyone knew who the first choice was. That order has completely changed now. In Tests, Jadeja is still preferred over Axar, but India have moved on from the veteran in white-ball cricket.
As per TOI, the talk coming out of the Indian camp suggest the roadmap to the 2027 ODI World Cup is already put in place. Axar Patel is no longer seen as Jadeja’s backup. He is being looked at as the primary option in this format. And India are already thinking a step ahead. Sunrisers Hyderabad‘s Harsh Dubey is being groomed as the next in line, someone who can eventually fill the same role..
Axar’s performance in the first ODI against England on July 14 was a clear reason why India have zeroed in on him. It was a clear statement from both the player and the management about where things stand. He finished the game, picked important wickets with the ball, and showed again why India now trust him to do the job Jadeja has done for years.
Axar offers what India desperately need in South Africa
The 2027 World Cup won’t be played on slow, turning surfaces. It will be played in South Africa, where teams will want extra pace, bigger hitters and batting depth. That is where Axar’s value shoots through the roof. In this current regime, India remain adamant on having as deep of a batting lineup as possible.
India’s management understands they may only need one frontline spinner in their strongest XI. While this may sound harsh on Kuldeep Yadav, but he might not be considered for the starting lineup. Although Kuldeep remains the wicket-taking option, his batting offers little security, and that is exactly what Gambhir doesn’t like. Axar, meanwhile, allows India to play an extra seamer without weakening the lower order.
His batting has evolved over the last three years. There was a time when Axar was viewed as a useful No. 8. Today, India are comfortable sending him at No. 6 or even higher. During the ODI Champions Trophy 2025, India used Axar at five as well, delaying KL Rahul‘s entry point. Also, with Axar being a lefty, it breaks India’s right-handed-dominant batting order.
At Edgbaston, England could’ve been on top after Gill got retired hurt; meanwhile, Iyer and Rahul got out in quick succession as well. But Axar calmly stitched things together with Sundar before finishing strongly. Earlier in the match, he came back and picked up four wickets.
That’s exactly the sort of dual-role cricketer India want for South African conditions. Not a specialist spinner. Not a bits-and-pieces all-rounder. A genuine balance player. Because on his day, Axar can easily bowl eight overs. He challenges both edges of the bat, which is something Jadeja has lacked.
Why Jadeja’s ODI future is done
This is less about one player replacing another and more about changing realities. Jadeja remains one of India’s greatest all-rounders, but the numbers have become difficult to ignore.
Since the 2025 Champions Trophy, he has managed just one wicket in six ODIs while conceding 298 runs. Among spinners who have bowled regularly during this period, his average of 298 is comfortably among the worst.
| Spinner | Matches | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravindra Jadeja | 6 | 1 | 298.00 |
| Kushal Bhurtel | 13 | 1 | 193.00 |
| Parveen Kumar | 3 | 1 | 128.00 |
| Andy McBrine | 3 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Prenelan Subrayen | 2 | 1 | 119.00 |
With the bat, he has slipped too. The power-hitting against pace just isn’t there. India can’t rely on him the same way to finish games. The new ODI rule makes it even tougher for him. After the 34th over, only one ball is used to help pacers get reverse swing. That means the last 15 overs are now much more pace-dominated, and that’s exactly where Jadeja has struggled. Since the rule came in, he has a strike rate of only 106.55 from the 35th over onwards. He also takes 12.20 balls on average to hit a boundary in that phase.
So, there’s no point of including a player who might not ever give you a 20-ball 40 and is also averaging an awful 300 with the ball.
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