"Felt very good after coming here and doing my first session" - Ravindra Jadeja on returning after long injury haul
Ace Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has returned to the national team setup for the upcoming bilateral series against Sri Lanka after a long injury haul. The Men in Blue are scheduled to play three T20Is followed by two Tests against the Islanders.
Jadeja copped up an injury during the series against New Zealand. He has since been working on his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Jadeja joined the squad in Lucknow and took part in the first training session. The 33-year-old all-rounder from Saurashtra is excited to be back among the teammates and is raring to take the field.
Speaking in a video released by the BCCI, Ravindra Jadeja said:
"Good to be back in the Indian team and really looking forward to play the T20 series and the Test series. It feels great to be back after 2-2.5 months and get a chance to play for India."
He added:
"I was very keen to do my rehab properly and also I was working hard on my fitness at NCA. So I am really excited for the upcoming series. I have been practicing in Bangalore, working on my bowling and batting and I was in touch. Today, I felt very good after coming here and doing my first session."
💬 💬 "I'm excited to be back and raring to go."
Say Hello to all-rounder @imjadeja and vice-captain @Jaspritbumrah93 as they join #TeamIndia for the Sri Lanka series. 👋 👋
@Paytm | #INDvSL https://t.co/gpWG3UESjv
Along with Jadeja, ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has also returned to the side after a much-needed break. He was rested for the West Indies series to manage his workload.
Ravindra Jadeja's batting has been on the rise for the last couple of years - Sanjay Bangar
Prep mode 🔛
#TeamIndia hit the ground running as they gear up for the @Paytm #INDvSL T20I series. 💪 👍 https://t.co/pcRxQYiJMw
Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Jadeja and Shardul Thakur will fight for the all-rounder's spot in the shortest format of the game for India.
Speaking on the Star Sports show Game Plan, Bangar said:
"The more I think of it, the more it seems that it's going to be a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja. That could be one of the reasons why Shardul Thakur has been rested when Jadeja has regained full fitness."
He added:
"Those two players have been doing the all-rounder's role commendably for India over the last year or so, both with bat and ball. Ravindra Jadeja's batting has been on the rise for the last couple of years and him being a left-hander can add that right-left sort of combination in the lower order as well, which the team has been looking for. I would say Jadeja is a straight swap for the position vacated by Shardul Thakur."
After the first game on February 24 concludes in Lucknow, both teams will travel to Dharamsala for the second and third T20I on February 26 and 27.