Indian vice-captain for the ongoing West Indies ODI series Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the first two ODIs due to an injury to his right knee.
Ahead of the start of the opening game, Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan said that Jadeja was doubtful for the first ODI of the three-match series. And soon, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the star all-rounder has been ruled out for the first two matches of the ODI leg.
“Team India all-rounder Mr. Ravindra Jadeja has sustained an injury to his right knee and has been ruled out of the first two ODIs against West Indies,” said BCCI in a statement on Twitter.
“The BCCI Medical team is monitoring his progress, and a decision on his participation in the third ODI will be taken accordingly,” the statement added.
In Jadeja’s absence, Indian top order batter Shreyas Iyer has been named as vice-captain of the team, and Axar Patel has been slotted into the lower-middle order.
“We were thinking of batting second, the weather looks like it will rain later on, and the wicket is sticky, but we are happy to bat first. I’m a very cool captain and like to guide the team, I would love to take the right decision but importantly, make sure the process is right, we are focussing on the process and make sure we get the right result. It’s complimentary, so much of talent in the country due to our domestic cricket and the IPL. The boys got a lot of exposure, it’s a great opportunity for all to showcase our talent. There’s Surya, Shreyas, Sanju all the boys are quite good – even myself (smiles), “said Dhawan during the toss.
On the other hand, West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran, after winning the toss, said that all-rounder Jason Holder has been ruled out of the series for the moment after testing Covid-19 positive.
