New Delhi: Midway through the Asian Cup in the UAE in 2018, Ravindra Jadeja made a comeback to the Indian white ball under Captain Rohit Sharma.
“It’s 480 days since I played, so I will always remember this,” Jadya has announced after the match.
Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are considered ineffective in Cricket Ball-Ball after India lost the final of the trophy champion to Pakistan in June 2017.
has taken four and a half years for Ashwin to rejoin the Jadyja setup.
Off-spinner will also play in the UAE, at the T20 World Cup.
This time, Rohit Sharma who has a role to play, TOI has learned.
Rohit, understood, has played a major role in the team election for the T20 World Cup.
The Board and Selectors have searched for Rohit’s opinion before the selection meeting and he insisted on bringing Ashwin back into the schemes of things.
Captain of Virat Kohli was also on the same page when the idea floated during the meeting.
Kohli previously suggested that the door open for Ashwin only if the Sundar Washington show dramatically dipped.
Now Washington has been ruled out with a finger injury, there is a slot to be contested.
Rohit and Kohli highlighted how Ashwin had become one of the toughest spinners to hit the IPL for the past two years.
Slow pitch in the UAE also played a major role in the decision.
There is theory in the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) that Rohit, the captain of Indian Mumbai in the IPL, needs to be given a greater role in the leadership group in the white ball cricket.
There seems to be a trace that grows the Mumbai Indian brand from Cricket in the Indian team, just like there is a trace of Chennai Super Kings a few years ago.
Voters supported Mumbai Indian players while deciding between two players for one place.
Ishan Kiswan fights people like Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Sanju Samson.
Even Rahul Chahar won the spinner-leg battle when Yuzvendra Chahal experienced fall.
Ishan’s ability to float around the batting and the wicketkeeping skills was highlighted by Chetan Sharma’s voter chief on Wednesday.
What he did not mention was that these fresh faces from Indian Mumbai stable were more accustomed to winning a big moment that helped the team win in the tournament.