- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
India suffered a major blow ahead of the T20 World Cup starting next month in Australia as their ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was reportedly ruled out of the tournament due to a ‘freak injury’.
While the left-arm cricketer missed the Super Four phase of the Asia Cup in Dubai, it has now been reported that he will not be fit on time for the showpiece event starting October 16. The Indian cricket board is reportedly agitated by the development.
India will launch their campaign on October 23 when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne.
According to one report, the 33-year-old ace spinner-all-rounder sustained the injury during a water-based activity in Dubai following India’s group match clash against Hong Kong on August 31.
Speedy Returns, Jaddu! More Power to you. ???#Yellove #WhistlePodu ?? @imjadeja pic.twitter.com/GAeZZHEDAM
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) September 6, 2022
The Times of India quoted sources as saying, “He (Jadeja) had to balance himself on some kind of a ski-board as part of an adventure activity – not part of the training manual at all. It was absolutely unnecessary. He slipped and twisted his knee badly, which led to a surgery.”
The injury of Jadeja, a major player of Team India who has come up with commendable performances time and again, has left many in the Board of Control for Cricket in India fuming and questions are now being raised whether such activities were required.
The BCCI though is yet to officially confirm the extent of the cricketer’s injury but it seems not to be too assuring.
“What’s surprising here is, Head Coach Rahul Dravid hasn’t ‘lost his cool’ given how the injury occurred. Ideally, one would have expected Dravid to question this entire process. All said, the bottomline is – India will travel to Australia without Jadeja,” sources said.
India missed Jadeja badly in two crucial Super Four matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup and lost both to crash out of the tournament. He had played a key role in India’s win over Pakistan in the group stage. While Axar Patel, a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja, was picked in his place for the Asia Cup but it is to be seen what the India selectors decide while taking a call on the final India squad for the T20 World Cup.
