Delhi: No one can deny one truth of the present times. Ravindra Jadeja, who was once given the title of 'Mr Utility' (all-round player) in Team India for One Day Internationals, is now struggling to prove his place in the team. If they are playing with the World Cup 2027 as their target, then they are facing a very difficult challenge. For over a decade, Ravindra Jadeja was a cricketer who could fit into any role in the team: a reliable 10-over spell, runs at No. 7 or brilliant fielding? Very few players could match him. Hence the name 'Mr. Utility'.

The biggest difference is that now this title is not proving correct. If the team plays without him, there is no feeling of absence and if he plays, the performance is such that it does not fit in with what is expected from him. So at the age of 37, Khabbu is no longer an automatic pick in the scheme of ODI cricket, nor a first-choice spin all-rounder and hence not in everyone's probable squad for the 2027 World Cup.

The answer to all these things is records. If we look at the record till Guwahati ODI against West Indies, only 2 wickets were taken in the last 5 ODIs (these were also taken in Guwahati only otherwise no wickets were taken in 4 consecutive matches) and only 6 wickets were taken in the last 10 ODIs and out of these 6 matches were such in which no wickets were taken. See more: Could take 4 wickets in first 3 matches of Champions Trophy in March 2025 and only 1 wicket in 7 ODI matches after that. Before this year's series against West Indies, his bowling performances in his last 3 ODIs were 0/56, 0/44 and 0/41.

There was a comeback against West Indies but the difficulty remained the same: in Thiruvananthapuram, it gave away 54 runs in 10 overs without taking any wicket and in Guwahati, it took 2 wickets but gave away 75 runs in 10 overs. For a bowler whose bowling in ODIs was based on control, accuracy and pressure, the bigger worry than not getting a wicket is that his ball does not remain a puzzle for the batsmen.

Talking about batting, there is difficulty here too. There was a time when Jadeja could change the course of the match even at number 7, could withstand pressure, could attack when needed and with him the team got that extra batting strength due to which he was an essential name in the ODI team. Now this role is not seen anywhere.

Isn't it surprising that a player whose batting record includes 13 scores of 50 in 212 ODI Internationals, has not scored any ODI 50 in the last 6 years and also has the ability to score fast runs in the middle and death overs. At this time, India, considering the top-order batting, not only needs someone batting at number 7, but also needs a player who can create chances for big scores in the last 10-15 overs. This is where his comparison with Akshar Patel begins. He has proved himself to be a better option in spin and batting. Even Washington Sundar is another option as a spin-bowling all-rounder. Due to this, the quality which once made Jadeja essential to the team is no longer unique.

So in such a situation, the last line seems to be drawn on Jadeja's ODI career. Can a comeback still happen? The biggest indication of Jadeja's current condition is not what he has done, it is why he is playing? He got a good opportunity in the ODI team against the West Indies, although his return to the team was largely due to circumstances. Akshar and Washington were away for the Asian Games, while Harsh Dubey and Shahbaz Ahmed were on the injury list, while Jadeja fit India's need for an experienced spin-bowling all-rounder. This was a compulsion of the selectors, not that Jadeja was forced to select him because of his record.

Keeping in mind his past records and contributions, experts are still not counting him out of the scheme. The question is, what can Jadeja give to the team in this form that Axar or Washington cannot? The discussion became more interesting when India's spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule described Jadeja as a 'utility player' who can contribute with bat and ball. He also mentioned the improvement in Jadeja's bowling in the last six months, including his performance in the Test matches in Sri Lanka. This indicates that the paths have not been completely closed for them. Yet this is certainly the beginning of the end of Jadeja's ODI career as India's 'Mr Utility'.