Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody voiced his disappointment on Ravindra Jadeja’s recent batting performances for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024. While Moody acknowledged Jadeja’s skills as a spin bowler, he argued that the all-rounder is not ‘good enough’ to fill the number 7 position for India in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
Though Jadeja made it to India’s World Cup squad, CSK’s decision to bat him higher in the order has backfired so far. In 9 IPL matches, he has scored just 157 runs at a strike rate of 131.93, numbers unlikely to strengthen his case for the crucial number 7 spot.
“I would select Jadeja solely for his left-arm spin, which is the best in the country. However, in my team, he would not bat at number seven because his strike rate shows he lacks the power hitting required from that position in a World Cup squad. The number seven needs to be a power hitter,” said Moody on Star Sports.
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, who was also on the discussion panel, agreed with similar views, noting that playing Jadeja at number 7 means the Rohit Sharma-captained Indian team will need to include a proper finisher in their lineup.
“My main concern about the World Cup is our batting order and lack of a strong finisher. For the T20 World Cup, our top order and middle overs batting seem fairly settled. However, if Ravindra Jadeja bats at number seven, we will need a reliable finisher. Unfortunately, Jadeja’s strike rate is not very high at the international level,” he said.