Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of remainder of T20I series; Shardul Thakur to replace him

Canberra: All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was on Friday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against Australia after he suffered concussion during the first match of the series here, the BCCI said.

Right-arm pacer Shardul Thakur was named as Jadeja’s replacement.

“He (Jadeja) will not take any further part in the ongoing T20I series. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Shardul Thakur to India’s T20I squad,” the BCCI said in a statement.

The BCCI said Jadeja remains under observation and will be taken for further scans if required based on the assessment on Saturday morning.

“Ravindra Jadeja sustained a concussion after being hit on the left side of his forehead in the final over of the first innings of the first T20I against Australia in Canberra on 4th December 2020,” the BCCI said.

“The diagnosis was confirmed based on a clinical assessment in the dressing room during the innings break by the BCCI Medical Team,” it added.

Jadeja was hit on the head by a Mitchell Starc bouncer in the final over of the Indian innings, but before that he was seen limping while running between the wickets. He remained unbeaten at 44 off 23 balls, which helped India post 161/7 that ultimately proved enough to win the match by 11 runs.

Yuzvendra Chahal (3/25), who came in as a concussion replacement for Jadeja, later played a massive role with the ball with his 3/35 in India’s win in the series opener.