Niranjan Shah Stadium: Veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been included in Saurashtra’s 16-member squad for their Ranji Trophy 2026/27 opener against Chhattisgarh, with veteran fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat continuing to lead the side.
Jadeja is coming off playing in India’s 2-1 ODI series win over the West Indies, though he took only two wickets in two games and didn’t get a chance to bat.
Playing in the Ranji Trophy will help Jadeja build red-ball rhythm ahead of India’s two-match Test tour of New Zealand, to be played in Wellington (November 19-23) and Christchurch (November 27 to December 1).
The 92nd edition of the prestigious red-ball tournament begins on October 11, with former champions Saurashtra placed in Elite Group B alongside Andhra, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Punjab, and Tripura.
Unadkat-led Saurashtra will kick off their campaign against Chhattisgarh at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Saurashtra, who won the premier domestic title twice under Unadkat’s leadership in 2019/20 and 2022/23, have retained as many as 14 players from last season's squad.
Left-arm pacer Unadkat is coming off enjoying a prolific outing for Sussex, picking up 28 wickets across seven matches at an average of 22.21, including picking a stellar 5-32 against Hampshire, alongside two four-wicket hauls.
Saurashtra suffered an early exit in the group stage during the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy and will be keen to have a stronger campaign this year.
The selection committee has handed call-ups to two new faces – pacer Neel Pandya and all-rounder Arth Yadav. Harvik Desai will continue to fulfill wicket-keeping duties, while the batting unit will feature experienced hands Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani and Jay Gohil.
Unadkat will spearhead the pace department alongside left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, though experienced left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has moved out of the team and will now represent Chhattisgarh. This means a lot of spin bowling responsibilities rest on Parth Bhut in the season.
The selection committee has handed call-ups to two new faces – pacer Neel Pandya and all-rounder Arth Yadav. Harvik Desai will continue to fulfill wicket-keeping duties, while the batting unit will feature experienced hands Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani and Jay Gohil.
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Article Source: IANS