3 surprising selections in India's squads for the West Indies tour

#2 Kedar Jadhav – ODI squad

Jadhav kept his place in the ODI squad

Kedar Jadhav has endured a topsy-turvy international career and has never really been able to establish himself as a definite starter. On numerous occasions, he has taken to the field with an axe hanging over his head.

The said fact was embodied at the World Cup where the Indian team, in a bid to sort out its balance, first ensured he was a part of the eleven and then discarded his services when they felt the side needed more batting muscle.

Thus, many believed his omission at the mega event to be the last straw in his ODI career. Yet, a few weeks later, he is packing his bags for the 50-over Caribbean adventure.

Over the past year, Jadhav’s stock has risen considerably and rather surprisingly, due to his bowling attributes. Currently, the Indian team is not blessed with a batsman capable of rolling his arm over. Hence, the middle-order batsman’s Lasith Malinga-esque off-spinners were worth their weight in gold.

Yet, with injuries no longer allowing him to unfurl that kind of ‘wizardry’ often, his resourcefulness has reduced significantly. Moreover, Jadhav is 34 years old and by the time the 2023 World Cup rolls in, he would be 38.

Thus, his inclusion for the ODI series against the West Indies is quite surprising. And to an extent, borders on defying cricketing logic.