Ranji Trophy 2017: India Stars Set To Play In First Round
The initial rounds of the upcoming Ranji Trophy is going to be a star-studded affair with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay likely to play the first round of the tournament. According to ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin and Vijay have told the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association about their availability while Jadeja and Pujara have been named in the 15-man Saurashtra squad for their first match against Haryana in Lahli from October 6.
Meanwhile, Jadeja and Ashwin’s availability is not guaranteed as they can be named in the squad for the three-match T20I series against Australia beginning on October 7. Both the players have been rested since the Test series against Sri Lanka but can be recalled to the side for the upcoming series.
Jadeja is set to join Saurashtra on Saturday (September 30) according to head coach Sitanshu Kotak while captain Pujara will join the camp after finishing his county commitments with Nottinghamshire. Pujara, who enjoyed a stellar season with India before going to England, did not have the best of outings for the English club as he has managed 333 runs from 12 innings at a modest average of 27.75 so far.
On the other hand, Ashwin, who is playing for Worcestershire, has played an integral rile in securing the Division Two title for the club with his allround performance. The India star scored 214 runs at an average of 42.8 in addition to picking up 20 wickets.
Jadeja, meanwhile, is in dire need of match practise. The left-arm spinner has not played competitive cricket since the Test series in Sri Lanka. He was recalled in the team as a replacement for the injured Axar Patel in the first three games of the ongoing five-match series against Australia but did not play a single game before being released for the last two games.
Talking about Vijay, the Test allrounder,who spend a good period on the sideline due to a wrist injury, had a lukewarm outing in the Duleep Trophy, picking up five wickets but managed only 17 runs.
