“He will be in the mix” - Ravi Shastri backs veteran player’s inclusion in 2027 World Cup

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has backed veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup despite his recent omission for the three-match series against Australia. The left-handed player has been in sublime form of late, especially in red-ball cricket, where he had back-to-back dominant series against England and the West Indies.

Ravindra Jadeja failed to make the cut for the Australia tour as the selectors named fellow all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, instead. The selectors clarified that the experienced player is still in the scheme of things in ODI cricket.

He played a vital role in India's last ODI assignment, bagging five wickets and scoring 27 runs in the triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy campaign.

Ravi Shastri remarked that Jadeja will be crucial in Team India's setup during the 2027 ODI World Cup, while backing the inclusion of two left-handed all-rounders in the playing XI.

"2027 everyone talks. Do not discount or write off Ravindra Jadeja. He will be in the mix, there is no question about that. He's still fielding like he is 7-8 years younger than what he is. It is just a privilege to watch him chase a ball on the field. I can understand (why he was not selected) in Australia because there is Axar, and there are only 3 matches, but come South Africa, where you have to play in different venues against different teams, both of them might play," Ravi Shastri said on the ICC Review.

Ricky Ponting credited Ravindra Jadeja for maintaining his fitness and evolving his game even at this stage of his career.

"I think I need to get some of what he is taking, because he does not seem to be ageing at all. He's the modern day Benjamin Button. I know he picked me off a couple of times when he first started. Warney always told us about him from the start, and once again, he was not wrong. It is hard to say that he is the best fielder of all time, but you put him right there in the absolute upper echelon," the former Australia captain said.

Jadeja's recent heroics in the home Test series against the West Indies saw him clinch a career-high 25th spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings. He is already the No.1 ranked Test all-rounder in the world since 2022.

In white-ball cricket, Jadeja was involved in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season before the commencement of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC).

"A young, skinny, left-hander that we threw to the Wolves one day" - Ricky Ponting recalls awarding Abhishek Sharma is IPL debut

The current No.1 ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma bagged his first major stint in the sport through a contract with the Delhi Daredevils (now renamed as the Delhi Capitals) after the 2018 U-19 World Cup. He made his debut against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Delhi during the 2018 IPL season, where he smashed an unbeaten 46 off 19 deliveries, while batting at No.6.

"I actually debuted him as a 17-year-old, when I was coaching in Delhi. He was a young, skinny, left-hander that we threw to the wolves one day when our season was not going great. I think we batted him at No.6 maybe, and he hit his first ball, I think it was off Mohammed Siraj, straight back over his head for 6. I was like, 'Wow, this kid has got something about him'. I don't love coaching against him, I must admit, because I think he got 140 against us in IPL last season," Ponting recalled.

Abhishek Sharma had smashed 141 runs off 55 deliveries for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2025 IPL clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS), who had Ricky Ponting as head coach. The opener's exploits helped SRH chase down a mammoth 242-run target with nine balls to spare.