Former India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar has said that the BCCI has decided to rest Shardul Thakur for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka because of Ravindra Jadeja’s return to full fitness. The T20I series between the two sides will begin on February 24 in Lucknow.

After missing the South Africa tour and both limited-overs series against West Indies due to a right forearm injury, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has returned to India squad in the forthcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting from February 24 in Lucknow. Jadeja was selected for the Two-match Test series as well, which will begin from March 4 in Mohali.

While sharing his thoughts on the Star Sports show Game Plan, former India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has picked Jadeja because of his return to full fitness, but due to that, Shardul Thakur has been sidelined.

“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,” Bangar said on the Game Plan.

“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 him 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.”

Shardul has not been picked for the Test series against Sri Lanka either. However, it is yet to be seen whether Jadeja enters in the playing XI straightway in the series opener against Sri Lanka.