3 players could take Ravindra Jadeja’s position in the Indian T20I squad

While it’s true that Ravindra Jadeja’s performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 fell short of expectations, any serious cricket fan would agree that he made a significant contribution to Indian cricket in all formats, especially the shortest one. Jadeja announced his retirement from Twenty20 international cricket with a poignant Instagram message, just hours after veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made the same announcement.

The onus now shifts to the young, bright players to carry on the legacy and make sure the Indian flag flies with pride as we bid farewell to this cricketing classic.

Let’s examine closely at the top three candidates who could replace Ravindra Jadeja in the T20 squad:

1. Washington Sundar

With 43 T20I matches played for India since his debut in 2017, the big 6’1″ player has a great deal of T20 expertise. When called upon, he regularly turns up outstanding performances with the bat and the ball. He has frequently been a formidable second fiddle, especially in bilateral series. His skill with the new ball is well known; in 20 overs of cricket, he consistently exhibited line and length. He is also a more than capable hitter, with the ability to bat at various locations and to turn the strike and unleash some heavy smashes in the last overs.

2. Krunal Pandya

The left-handed all-rounder bowls quick and economical spells, much like Jadeja. Furthermore, the Gujarati bowler has significant expertise bowling in a variety of game circumstances.

Being a skilled left-arm spinner who, like Jadeja, likes to dart the ball in rather than give it too much air is one of the special qualities of Hardik Pandya’s older brother. He also bowls with the fresh ball and in the middle overs, which is a valuable experience. His strike-rate of more than 130 in T20Is and T20s thus far, which highlights his adaptability and potency as a middle-order hitter, is another proof of his batting talent.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: ICC names team of the tournament, Rohit Sharma named captain

3. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia has great promise; don’t let his lack of T20I experience fool you. He has gained a reputation as a strong spin basher, much like Shivam Dube, but he can also handle fast bowlers.

He unleashes the greatest havoc on his preferred on-side, where he typically delivers enormous blows that result in large maximums. He’s also more than just a part-time bowler now that he has useful leg-spin to carry over into the future.