"The T20 World Cup was extremely middling" - Aakash Chopra says all-rounder might be dropped from India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad

Former India player Aakash Chopra has reckoned that Ravindra Jadeja might be dropped from the Men in Blue's Champions Trophy 2025 squad. He pointed out that the spin-bowling all-rounder hasn't fared well in white-ball cricket lately and had an 'extremely middling' 2024 T20 World Cup.

India will face England in a three-match ODI series, with the first game to be played in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. The two sides will then take part in the Champions Trophy to be hosted in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 onwards.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener was asked why everyone has started hating Jadeja.

"I don't know about hate but the white-ball stocks have gone down massively. The T20 World Cup was extremely middling. It wasn't fantastic. He announced his retirement. Even in ODIs, he wasn't picked for the Sri Lanka series and it was said that he had only been rested and that he is a very important member," he responded (11:20).

Chopra opined that the veteran all-rounder is unlikely to be a part of India's playing XI for the first ODI against England and might not make their final Champions Trophy squad.

"However, when the Champions Trophy team was announced, his name was in the 15th spot. I won't be surprised if he doesn't play the Nagpur match and his name might be dropped when the Champions Trophy team is announced. All these things were within the realms of possibility," he observed.

Ravindra Jadeja hasn't played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final. He scored 35 runs at an average of 11.67 in five innings and picked up a solitary wicket in 14 overs in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

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"I feel he will reach there" - Aakash Chopra on Varun Chakaravarthy's place in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad

Varun Chakaravarthy is yet to make his ODI debut. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra replied in the affirmative when asked whether Varun Chakaravarthy should be fast-tracked into India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad.

"I feel he will reach there. The Champions Trophy's route goes through Nagpur, Cuttack and Ahmedabad (the three ODIs against England). If he performs slightly decently in this ODI series, he will be there," he said (12:00).

The cricketer-turned-commentator was further asked whether India should add a seamer to their Champions Trophy squad.

"I am thinking in whose place? If you include Varun Chakaravarthy, you would have already compromised one spinner. There is a possibility that you keep only three spinners and add a fast bowler, which may actually be the right thing to do. Better balance, but will the Indian team do that? They will have to pivot a lot," Chopra responded.

Aakash Chopra acknowledged that including a seamer at a spinner's expense will be bad for optics. However, he added that whatever benefits the team, should be done.