Ace India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who missed out on the ongoing Australia v India ODI series, has decided to play the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 for Saurashtra. He will turn out for his domestic team in their second-round match against Madhya Pradesh.
This game will be played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot starting on Friday.
"He informed us that he will play for Saurashtra in this round of the Ranji Trophy. He has always been keen to play for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy," Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah told the Times of India.
Since the previous season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear to the players that they must come out for their state teams in domestic cricket as long as they are fit and available, rather than for national or India A duty.
Jadeja has always represented Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy. Last season, the 36-year-old ace left-arm spinner claimed 12 wickets in two Ranji matches, with his best figures of seven for 38.
Overall, Jadeja has taken 569 wickets at an average of 24.20 and scored 8143 runs at 45.49, including 14 hundreds and two triple hundreds.
Jadeja will try to use the Ranji outing to gain match practice before the two-Test home series against South Africa, which begins at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14, as the selectors are testing out young left-arm spinners like Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar in the two India A matches against South Africa A.
Ravindra Jadeja had stated that the BCCI and Indian team management had communicated to him about the decision to leave him out of the ODI team for the Australia tour. Jadeja, who will turn 37 this December, retired from T20Is following India’s World Cup triumph last year but remains eager to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Jadeja remained in their plans for the 2027 World Cup.
"With regards to Jaddu, I mean, look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places.
Of course, he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there in the UAE. At the moment, we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washy (Washington Sundar) and Kuldeep there as well. I don't think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It's a short series; you can't accommodate everyone, and unfortunately, at the moment, he is missing out,” Agarkar had said while announcing the India squad.
Jadeja has featured in 204 ODIs, claiming 231 wickets and scoring 2806 runs.
