Ravindra Jadeja likely to prove fitness for Border-Gavaskar Trophy by playing in Ranji Trophy: Reports

Team India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is reportedly set to make his comeback to competitive cricket just before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will begin on February 9.

According to reports from ESPNCricinfo, Jadeja is likely to feature for Saurashtra in their final league game of the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 season against Tamil Nadu in Chennai, starting on January 24.

The all-rounder, who was out for a while with a knee injury, is currently undergoing the final stretch of his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. However, Jadeja will need to prove his fitness to play red-ball cricket before being deemed fit to play the first Test against Australia, scheduled to take place in Nagpur.

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Ravindra Jadeja walks into India's playing XI if fit

Ravindra Jadeja has arguably been one of the best all-rounders in the world in Test cricket for the past 3-4 years. Jadeja has contributed with both bat and ball, not just at home, but also in tough away conditions.

The all-rounder played his last red-ball game in the one-off Test against England at Edgbaston, where he smashed an incredible hundred. The balance that Jadeja gives to the Indian team allows them to use the five-bowler theory without compromising on their batting.

He also has fond memories of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017 as his 25 wickets and 127 runs earned him the Player of the Series, with India winning the series 2-1.

With a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final on the line, India will hope Jadeja proves his fitness and gets going straightaway.

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India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Note: Jadeja’s inclusion in the squad is subject to fitness.