3 reasons why Ravindra Jadeja missing out IND vs WI 2022 ODI series is a huge blow to India

In a disappointing development for the Indian team ahead of the ODI series against West Indies, vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja has picked up a niggle in his knee. According to a recent report by Cricbuzz, Jadeja could be rested for the three-ODI series against the Men in Maroon.

Jadeja suffered an injury during the IPL 2022 season which forced him to leave the tournament midway. The all-rounder made a comeback against England earlier this month and performed exceptionally well. The BCCI named him the vice-captain for the ODI series against West Indies, but it seems like he will miss the series.

Here are three reasons why Jadeja's absence is a massive blow to the Indian team.

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#1 Ravindra Jadeja was the deputy skipper for this series

Ravindra Jadeja was set to be the Indian vice-captain for the first time in his career (Image: Getty)

One of the main reasons why Ravindra Jadeja's absence will hurt the Indian team is that the team does not have too many experienced names. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are not part of the team.

In their absence, Shikhar Dhawan has been named the skipper, with Jadeja being his deputy. Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer are the only other players in the squad who have IPL captaincy experience. However, both players first need to cement their places in the Indian team.

Jadeja's experience will be missed in the leadership group. This series would have given him an opportunity to improve his decision-making skills as well.

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#2 His all-round skills would have given a lot more balance to the Indian team

Ravindra Jadeja is one of the best all-rounders in world cricket right now. Very few players can contribute to all three departments the way he does. In the absence of the top guns, Jadeja's presence would have given some much-needed balance and experience to the Indian lineup for this series.

With Jadeja likely to rest during the ODIs, Axar Patel, Deepak Hooda and Shardul Thakur are the all-rounders available for selection. Patel is a similar all-rounder to Jadeja, but his recent performances have not been so inspiring.

Hooda is more of a batting all-rounder, while Thakur is a bowling all-rounder. Jadeja's absence will thus affect the Indian team's balance a lot.

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#3 Ravindra Jadeja has an excellent record at Queen's Park Oval

Queen's Park Oval will play host to the entire ODI series between India and West Indies. Not many players from the Indian squad for this series have played an international game at this venue before. The pitch and conditions will be new for them.

Jadeja played five ODIs on this ground in previous years and scalped 10 wickets in those matches. Queen's Park Oval is the only venue where Jadeja has taken 10 or more ODI wickets. His economy rate at this stadium is 4.34, while his best bowling figures are 4/23.

Looking at his past performances on this ground, fans can understand how much India will miss Jadeja in this series.