After being sidelined for months and lacking a significant chunk of the 2022 season, veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is closing in on his India comeback. The senior all-rounder is about to play his first aggressive match after being out of motion for 5 months. Jadeja will lead Saurashtra of their last group recreation of the Ranji Trophy. Hoping to safe the highest spot within the Elite Group B, the Jadeja-led Saurashtra aspect will lock horns with Tamil Nadu on the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.

Jadeja, who’s main Saurashtra within the absence of veterans Jaydev Unadkat and Cheteshwar Pujara, needed to endure knee surgical procedure in 2022. The Indian southpaw final performed a world match for Rohit Sharma-led Team India in August within the Asia Cup. Speaking to the media forward of the Ranji Trophy Group B league match in opposition to Tamil Nadu, Jadeja mentioned that he’s prioritising match health because the star all-rounder is hopeful of creating an influence in opposition to Australia.

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“I am feeling good to be back on the field. Very excited. Hopefully, it will come good as a team and as an individual also. See my first priority is to get on the field and be fit…100 percent fit. Once I am 100 percent fit, I will work more on my skills, whether it is batting or bowling. Now, my first priority is fitness. I was at the NCA for 20 days. I was doing batting and bowling. Match scenario is different. I wanted one game before the Australia series, that’s why I am here,” Jadeja mentioned forward of the Ranji Trophy match in Chennai.

Jadeja revealed that he suffered a ligament damage that saved him out for 5 months. The veteran all-rounder should show his match health if he needs to return to play the sequence opener in opposition to Australia in Nagpur on February 2. He has been named within the squad for the firstt two Tests, topic to health.

“You feel bad. Nobody wants to get injured at your peak time. It is part of the game. You have to keep that in mind and be prepared for it. You can’t do anything. There is no guarantee that one won’t get injured in cricket. It was a ligament tear. It is coming good. I am slowly getting confident. As I said, a match is a different thing. Different ball game…I will try to give my 100 percent. I will try to go slowly, slowly. Let’s see how my leg is feeling and then we will see,” Jadeja added.

The left-handed batter and left-arm spinner was campaigning for his spouse within the Gujarat elections throughout the time he was away from cricket and mentioned it helped him

“Fortunately, I was busy with some other things. My full focus was there. It helped me a lot. I was also not thinking too much about cricket. Those initial three months after I got injured and got done with my surgery, I was busy with some election things. That helped me a lot. I wasn’t really watching [India] matches. But a few games I did see.”