Saurashtra head coach Niraj Odedra has shared that the team is excited to have star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja back in the squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu. With senior players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Jaydev Unadkat being rested for the match, Jadeja will be leading the side.
Odedra stated that the 34-year-old is pumped to return to action. He also revealed that Jadeja practised for an hour in the nets and later gave a pep talk to the boys ahead of the clash. “With JD (Unadkat) being rested for the game, we asked him (Jadeja) if he could captain the side and he happily agreed. He takes great pride in playing for Saurashtra and he wants everyone in the team to feel the same way. He also told the team that there is no senior or junior in the side and everyone is equally important. He is a big player and we all are excited to have him back,” said Odedra.
As per reports, Jadeja wanted to have a longer session in the nets but the team management didn’t allow that as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is just around the corner and Jadeja is a part of the India squad. Post the practice session, the cricketer congratulated his teammates for winning the Vijay Hazare trophy.
Jadeja has been given a rest from India’s ongoing white-ball series against New Zealand. He will be joining the national squad when India start their practice for the four-match Test series against Australia. With the return of Jadeja, the Saurashtra team is set to fire on all cylinders and make a strong statement in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
