I believe Ravindra Jadeja will do what Yuvraj Singh did in the 2011 World Cup: Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) jointly announced the schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, June 27, in Mumbai. It will be for the first time ever that India will be exclusively hosting the World Cup. India managed to win the coveted trophy the last time they hosted the tournament in 2011 under the leadership of MS Dhoni.

Yuvraj Singh was one of the architects of the victory as he was awarded Player of the Tournament for scoring 362 runs and picking 15 wickets. Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth feels that Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel can also play a similar role in the upcoming World Cup as India look to end their ten-year ICC trophy drought.

“In the 2011 World Cup, you saw a lot of all-rounders coming into play. We had a fantastic side, very well led by (MS) Dhoni, too, and that time we have Yuvraj Singh. I believe Ravindra Jadeja will do what Yuvraj Singh did in the 2011 World Cup. I believe Jadeja, the Axar Patels… these people will play a very crucial role if India has to win this 2023 World Cup,” Srikkanth was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Jadeja has been one of the most valuable assets for India in all three formats for a number of years. The 34-year-old has played 174 ODIs and scored 2526 runs at an average of 32.80 with 13 fifties to his name. He has also picked 191 wickets in the format at an average of 37.39.

Jadeja helped India win Champions Trophy 2013 with his all round skills

The southpaw helped India win the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 with his all-round skills. He was awarded Player of the Match in the final for his all-round show as he first scored 33* off 25 balls in the first innings and then picked 2/24 with the ball. Jadeja was also the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, with 12 wickets to his name.

The all-rounder will be expected to emulate his performance in the upcoming World Cup as well. On the other hand, Axar Patel was a part of India’s 2015 World Cup squad but couldn’t play a game. The 29-year-old was exceptional for Delhi Capitals with both bat and ball in IPL 2023 and will look to carry his form forward in the World Cup if he gets selected for the marquee event.