'Vice-captain does not have any value': Ex-cricketer on Ravindra Jadeja ahead of IND vs SA 3rd T20I

On Thursday, in Johannesburg, South Africa and India will play their third Twenty20 international. The series is under threat. The home team won the second match utilising the DLS method in a rain-shortened affair, while the first game in Durban was rained out. India must perform today to win the game and perhaps look to tie the series.

3 things you need to know 

• India vs South Africa 3rd T20I will be played today 
• South Africa leads the T20I series by 1-0 
• Team India will look to level the series 

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Aakash Chopra made a huge statement regarding Ravindra Jadeja 

Aakash Chopra believes Ravindra Jadeja is competing with Axar Patel for a position in India's T20I squad, emphasising that Jadeja must contribute significantly with the bat to secure his berth. The final T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg is a critical occasion for Jadeja to demonstrate his ability. In the previous encounter, Jadeja scored 19 runs off 14 balls and took 0/28 in 2.5 overs as India lost by five wickets using the DLS technique. Chopra voiced concern in a video previewing the third T20I on his YouTube channel that Jadeja's vice-captain role in the current series may not be enough to solidify his position in the team going forward.  He said: 

“I will want Rinku Singh to score runs once again. Jitesh (Sharma) and Ravindra Jadeja should score runs. Jaddu needs to score runs because there is going to be a toss-up between Jaddu and Axar Patel, and it's not that Axar is too far behind because he (Jadeja) is the vice-captain.”

“Vice-captain does not have any value these days because Shreyas Iyer was the vice-captain. Before that, Ajinkya Rahane was the vice-captain in Tests. The selectors straightaway drop players these days. I don't know how they do that.”

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Shreyas Iyer was India's vice-captain in the final two Twenty20 Internationals in the recent five-match series against Australia. Surprisingly, he was not selected for the last encounter against South Africa. Similarly, in the two Tests against the West Indies, Ajinkya Rahane served as Rohit Sharma's deputy. He has, however, been left out of India's selection for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa.