"Was keen to do my rehab properly": Ravindra Jadeja on lengthy absence from team India

Ravindra Jadeja will play his first international match since the T20 World Cup last year

India’s favourite all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is back in team India after a long gap. Ravindra Jadeja will be playing his first match since the T-20 World Cup. Jadeja picked up an injury in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur and was subsequently ruled out of the series and India's tour of South Africa as well.

"Good to be back in the Indian team and really looking forward to play the T20 series and the Test series. It feels great to be back after 2-2.5 months and get a chance to play for India," Jadeja said in a video tweeted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"I was very keen to do my rehab properly and also I was working hard on my fitness at NCA. So I am really excited for the upcoming series. I have been practicing in Bangalore, working on my bowling and batting and I was in touch. Today, I felt very good after coming here and doing my first session," he said.

Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that Jadeja could be up against Shardul Thakur for a place in the Indian T20I squad.

"The more I think of it, the more it seems that it's going to be a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja. That could be one of the reasons why Shardul Thakur has been rested when Jadeja has regained full fitness," he said.

"Those two players have been doing the all-rounder's role commendable for India over the last year or so, both with bat and ball. Ravindra Jadeja's batting has been on the rise for the last couple of years and he being a left-hander can add that right-left sort of combination in the lower order as well, which the team has been looking for. I would say Jadeja is a straight swap for the position vacated by Shardul Thakur."

Ravindra Jadeja is considered one the best fielders in the cricketing world.

India will face Sri Lanka on 24^th February.