Ravindra Jadeja to miss Ranji Trophy opener

What's the story?

Ravindra Jadeja, who was included in Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy opener against Haryana in Lahli will miss the match due to personal reasons.

According to Saurashtra coach Shitanshu Kotak, he will be back for the second game.

“He (Jadeja) is not available for the first game. He confirmed to us a couple of days back that it would not be possible for him to play this one,” Kotak told Sportstar.

“He will join the team then. That’s how the plan is till now,” he continued.

In case you didn't know...

Jadeja has not played an international game since India's third Test against Sri Lanka. He was not included in the limited overs format squad for the series against Sri Lanka and the following one against Australia as well.

However, he was brought back into the squad for the first three ODIs against the Kangaroos due to an injury to Axar Patel. Unfortunately, he didn't play a single game and was dropped for the final two games.

The details:

Saurashtra have named a strong squad for the prestigious tournament and will go in as one of the favourites. They will also be bolstered by the presence of Robin Uthappa who made his move from Karnataka for the upcoming season.

India's no. 1 Test batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara will be captaining the side but will have to leave the tournament midway when India take on Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series at home.

Here is the squad for the opening game:

Cheteshwar Pujara (captain), Robin Uthappa, Jaydev Unadkat, Snell Patel (wicketkeepar), Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Dharmendra Jadeja, Vandit Jivrajani, Avi Barot, Kishan Parmar, Krushang Patel, Shaurya Sanandiya, Hardik Rathod.

What's next?

Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy opener will take place from October 6-9 in Lahli, Haryana.

Author's take:

Jadeja's absence will be a big blow to Saurashtra who are looking to win the tournament for the first time ever in Ranji Trophy history.

However, he will look to make a strong impact in the second game against Jammu and Kashmir which will take place on October 14 in Rajkot.

He should be available to play for his state until the second week of November after which he will be busy with the national side when Sri Lanka come visiting.