Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Ravindra Jadeja to join Saurashtra squad in Chennai

India star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is set to make his return to the field as he joins the star-studded Saurashtra squad for the Ranji Trophy. The all-rounder will be joining the likes of Jaydev Unadkat and Cheteshwar Pujara, both of whom are renowned for their impressive performances in the tournament. Jadeja will be joining the team on Sunday, January 22nd, marking the beginning of his much-anticipated comeback.

"His training and workload will be in accordance with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) protocols. I sent Jaddu a WhatsApp text informing him that the boys were ecstatic to have him back. He quickly responded, expressing his eagerness to reunite with the team. It had been a while since he had played Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra. Having a player of his caliber join the team is a tremendous boost to morale,” Niraj Odedra, Saurashtra's coach, told Sportstar.

Saurashtra are scheduled to face Tamil Nadu in the Elite Group B game in an away fixture at MA Chidambaram Stadium, the second home ground of Ravindra Jadeja, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and was the captain of the Yellow Army in the first half of IPL 2022. This highly anticipated match will take place from January 24 to 27.

This will be Ravindra Jadeja's first game in five months, after suffering a knee injury last year that required surgery. This unfortunate setback ruled him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup, but he was recently named in the squad for the Bangladesh tour, only to be ruled out again. Despite the setbacks, Jadeja is determined to make a return to the field.

The selectors have named Ravindra Jadeja in the squad for the first two Test matches against Australia, but he will need to demonstrate his fitness in the Ranji Trophy before he can be confirmed in the playing XI. Along with R Ashwin, Jadeja is a guaranteed selection, meaning Axar Patel will have to make way for him if India opt not to play three spinners.

Given Jadeja's inclusion, Kuldeep Yadav may have to wait for his opportunity. He was surprisingly omitted from the playing XI for the second Test match against Bangladesh.

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