Asia Cup 2022: 3 players who can replace Ravindra Jadeja in India's playing 11
Team India have been dealt a critical blow in their Asia Cup 2022 campaign after it was confirmed that Ravindra Jadeja will miss the remainder of the tournament. The all-rounder suffered a knee injury which will keep him on the sidelines for an indefinite period, putting his T20 World Cup spot in jeopardy as well.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced Axar Patel as his replacement in the ongoing tournament. The Delhi Capitals (DC) all-rounder was named as one of the standbys earlier and will join the main squad in Dubai soon.
NEWS - Axar Patel replaces injured Ravindra Jadeja in Asia Cup squad.
More details here - bcci.tv/articles/2022/… #AsiaCup2022
Jadeja has been an invaluable part of the Indian setup with his all-rounder performances. The lower-middle order consisting of him, alongside Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik, was proving to be a formula for success for the team, who will now have to look at other options.
In this article, we take a look at three players who can replace Jadeja in the starting 11.
#1 Axar Patel
As mentioned earlier, Axar was named as the replacement player after the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder was injured. In terms of skillsets, the 28-year-old is one of the most like-to-like replacements the team would have hoped to find.
Axar has been proving his worth to the side in recent times with impressive all-round performances. Not only can he chip in with four overs with the ball, he can also offer himself as a bowling option in the powerplay.
Axar's performances with the bat, too, have also gone up a notch. He has been a much more reliable hitter in recent times. His match-winning 64* off 35 balls against the West Indies in the ODIs earlier this year proved that he's got enough to offer to the Indian side.
#2 Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda has been making waves with his performances at the top of the order for the second string Indian side. The 27-year-old is in the form of his life, scoring runs for fun against most opposition.
He forced his way into the Indian side after a breakthrough season in the IPL 2022 where he scored 451 runs at a strike rate of 136 for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He continued his fine form with the limited opportunities he had to represent the Men in Blue.
In seven T20Is, he has already scored 274 runs, including a memorable century against Ireland. His strike rate of 161.2 is amongst the highest for the Indian side, and he can do a handy job for the side as a floater in the batting order.
He can also chip in the with the ball if required. With the kind of performances he has delivered in recent times, it might only be a matter of time before he cements his spot in the Indian side.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin
The veteran off-spinner needs no introduction with his exploits well known around the globe in all formats. However, Ravichandran Ashwin has found himself out of the Indian starting eleven in T20Is for a little while now.
The 35-year-old was an integral part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) setup, being used as a floater in the batting order. He recorded his highest run tally in a single IPL season, scoring 191 runs at a strike rate of 141.
It's important to note that some of these numbers came in when he was promoted up the order, making the most of the field restrictions. It's unlikely that he will be able to execute the same role in this Indian side.
However, with his wealth of experience and bowling expertise, he will be an excellent addition, especially when there are a good number of left-handed batters in the opposition lineup. He will also have the chance to create a successful bowling partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal.
Also read: Run-hungry Deepak Hooda is ready to take on any challenge that comes his way.