India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has reportedly been ruled out of the 2022 T20 World Cup and will stay out of action for an indefinite period. Jadeja has been suffering from a knee issue for a long time now and it was first reported when he was ruled out of the ODI series against West Indies in July.
As per PTI, Jadeja’s knee issue is serious and he will undergo a major surgery for this. He could be ruled out of action for at least three months.
“Jadeja’s right knee injury is pretty serious. He is supposed to undergo a major knee surgery and will be out of action for indefinite period of time. At this point, if one goes by the assessment of the NCA’s medical team, one can’t put a timeline on his imminent international comeback,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI.
The update comes as a big blow to the Men in Blue as he is the most consistent all-rounder for the team since his comeback and provides that balance. His batting skills have also improved since 2018 and he has often pipped R Ashwin for a place in the playing XI on overseas tours
On Friday (September 2), Jadeja was ruled out of Asia Cup after playing 2 league stage matches. The BCCI called up Axar Patel as his replacement and he might go on to retain his spot for T20 World Cup as well.
Apart from Axar, Washington Sundar holds a realistic chance of replacing Jadeja till he is out of action. The youngster gets early wickets in powerplay and can contribute with the bat as well.
In Jadeja’s absence, Ashwin’s role becomes quite important. While he has proven his batting skills in Test cricket, he can also make important contributions in T20Is. The senior spinner showed his all-round skills in IPL, where he batted at number 3 for Rajasthan Royals on a few occasions.
