For Saurashtra’s opening Ranji Trophy match of 2026–2027, a home match against Chhattisgarh at Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium, Ravindra Jadeja has been included in a 16-person squad. Saurashtra is ranked in Elite Group B with Andhra, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Punjab, and Tripura in the 92nd edition of India’s premier domestic first-class competition, which kicks off on October 11.
Ravindra Jadeja was chosen in the wake of India’s recent 2-1 victory over the West Indies in an ODI series. In two of those games, the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder took two wickets without coming into contact with a bat delivery. The team is keen to recover from a group-stage loss in 2025–2026, and Jaydev Unadkat remains captain.
With the exception of seamer Neel Pandya and all-rounder Arth Yadav, Saurashtra has kept 14 players from the previous season’s squad.
Why does India’s Test schedule depend on Ravindra Jadeja’s red-ball outing in Rajkot?
This Ranji Trophy match gives Jadeja a timely chance to hone his red-ball skills before India’s two-Test tour of New Zealand next month. Wellington will host the first Test from November 19 to 23, while Christchurch will host the second Test from November 27 to December 1. Jadeja will be eager to spend time in the middle under match conditions prior to that assignment because he did not play an innings at the crease during the West Indies ODI series.
After making an impression during a county stint with Sussex, where he took 28 wickets at an average of 22.21 in seven games, Unadkat has arrived at the Ranji Trophy. Two different four-wicket performances and a five-wicket haul of 5 for 32 against Hampshire were part of that return. He will share the new ball with Chetan Sakariya, while Jay Gohil, Arpit Vasavada, and Chirag Jani provide batting depth and Harvik Desai takes the gloves behind the stumps.
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Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, a left-arm spinner, moved to Chhattisgarh for this season, so Saurashtra must also reorganise their spin options. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Parth Bhut is expected to shoulder a larger share of the spin-bowling duties. Under Unadkat’s direction, the two-time Ranji Trophy winners, who won the competition in 2019–20 and 2022–2023, will aim to advance much beyond the group stage this time.
Saurashtra full squad for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy opener
Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Harvik Desai (wk), Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Prerak Mankad, Jay Gohil, Chetan Sakariya, Ankur Panwar, Sammar Gajjar, Parth Bhut, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Hetvik Kotak, Neel Pandya, Arth Yadav, Tarang Gohel.
