Injured Ravindra Jadeja Still in Contention for World Cup Spot
Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the Test series in Australia after a shoulder injury. India's World Cup Squad will be announced on January 6.
Ravindra Jadeja in all likelihood will find a place India's World Cup squad despite not yet recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained on the tour to Australia.(Akshar Patel Replaces Ravindra Jadeja in Australia)
According to an article in espncricinfo.com, BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel told reporters in December that Jadeja needed "three to four weeks" to recover. He is not likely to be fit for the start of the tri-series involving Australia and England beginning on January 16. Jadeja is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the new BCCI centre in Chennai where the Board's physiotherapist Nitin Patel is monitoring his progress.
The selectors will be get an update on the all-rounder's fitness on January 6 when they meet to pick the squad for the tri-series and the World Cup. The deadline for announcing the World Cup squad is January 7. If all goes well, Jadeja will be match-fit by January 20 and could get a chance to prove his fitness towards the end of the tri-series.
Should Jadeja not recover in time, the BCCI can get get a replacement for the World Cup. According to the rules, a player can only be replaced on medical grounds. So even if he is not fit for the World Cup after being picked in the squad, he can be replaced if the ICC medical committee is convinced that the injury will not heal in time for the tournament.