Ravindra Jadeja ‘wants to play the 2027 World Cup’:All-rounder expresses desire to feature in marquee event, acknowledges ‘selectors must be planning’

Ravindra Jadeja, the star India all-rounder, has made it clear that he wants to play the 2027 ODI World Cup. There were questions raised about the future of Jadeja in ODIs, especially after he was overlooked for the ODI series against Australia. However, the left-handed cricketer, who will be nearly 38 by the time the marquee ICC event arrives, minced no words in expressing his desire to play the next ICC event in the 50-overs format. Also Read | Hardik Pandya confirms relationship with Mahieka Sharma “See, this is not in my hands. I mean, I want to play the World Cup, of course, but at the end of the day, there’s some thinking from the team management, selectors, coach, and captain- why they didn’t keep me in this series. There must be some reason behind it,” Jadeja told the reporters after the end of Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies in New Delhi where he finished with 3 wickets for 37 runs in his 14 overs. “But whenever the next opportunity comes, obviously, I’ll try to do what I’ve been doing all these years. And like you said about the major tournament — the World Cup — if I get a chance there, before that there are quite a few ODIs. If I do well in those and get the opportunity, obviously it’ll be good for Indian cricket.” “And yes, winning the World Cup is everyone’s dream. Last time in the 50-over World Cup, we fell short by a little, so this time, if possible, we’ll try to finish what was left incomplete,” said Jadeja. Jadeja’s form and fitness not a concern as yet Even though the selectors may be looking to transition towards a young side with the World Cup still two years away, Jadeja remains one of India’s fittest athletes. His form is not a cause of concern either. In the ongoing World Test Championship Cycle (2025-27), Jadeja has already scored 620 runs from 7 matches at an average of 103.3. Even in the ICC Champions Trophy, Jadeja scalped 5 wickets in 5 matches, famously hitting the winning boundary in the final against New Zealand. His contributions as a fielder cannot be undermined either, guarding the hotspot areas- be it the catching positions or the boundary zones, depending on the situation of the game. Also Read | Sai Sudharsan injures finger but takes a freak catch Shubman Gill appointed ODI captain for Australia ODIs Despite Jadeja expressing his eagerness to play the Australia ODIs, it should be noted that Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee appointed Shubman Gill as the captain ahead of Rohit Sharma, the white-ball skipper who had led the country to two ICC trophies in 9 months without dropping a single game. “It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning. You’ve got to start planning. You also play it (Is) the least. The focus has been on the T20 World Cup. We will surely start planning for the ODI World Cup. Gives the next guy (Gill) enough time,” Agarkar had explained at a press conference. On Rohit and Kohli’s international future, Agarkar said: “That’s the format they are playing at the moment. We have picked them [for Australia]… as far as the 2027 World Cup is concerned, I don’t think we need to talk about it today. You don’t have to think too far at this point, as the team is picked for Australia, and you know, just need them to score runs like they have been through their career.