Ravindra Jadeja to play Ranji trophy ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy to prove his fitness

India's all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is all set to come back and play in Saurashtra's final Ranji Trophy match which is scheduled on January 24, reports said.

As per the reports, the Ranji match will be played between Chennai against Tamil Nadu.

Jadeja had to leave the Asia Cup last September to undergo surgery on his right knee. However, he is currently finishing up his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, and the selectors have named him in the 17-man Test squad for the first half of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will start in Nagpur on February 9.

The second Test of the series will be played in Delhi followed by the final two Tests in Dharamsala and Ahemdabad.

Since the all-rounder has been named in the 17-member Test squad for the home series against Australia that starts the next month, his inclusion is subject to his fitness ahead of the series.

Reportedly, the selectors have clarified that he Jadeja will be considered for selection only if the NCA certifies his fitness.
 
Jadeja resumed batting and bowling earlier this week but has to clear fitness tests to be considered ready and available for competitive cricket.

Notably, Jadeja who usually bats at No.5 or No. 6 in the red-ball as well as limited-overs formats for India, provides balance to the middle order alongside R Ashwin, the country's top spinner, especially in the absence of Rishab Pant.

It is worth mentioning that the series is a big one for both teams.

Meanwhile, in the recently announced squad for the limited-overs home series against New Zealand, Prithvi Shaw has managed to grab a spot in the Indian team for the T20I series against New Zealand on January 13.

The New Zealand home series will feature three T20Is  and three ODIs and India will begin the series with the 50-over matches starting on January 18. The T20 series will commence on January 27 and will end on February 1.

KL Rahul and Axar Patel will not feature in the New Zealand home series due to family commitments.

Hardik Pandya will lead the side in the three-match T20 series with star batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer missing the T20I leg of the series.

Also read: BCCI announces NZ white-ball home series squad; Prithvi Shaw earns a chance to play T20I