IND vs WI 2022: "He has a bit of a niggle so we don't know whether he will be ready or not" - Shikhar Dhawan provides update on Ravindra Jadeja's availability for the first ODI

Team India's stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan has stated that Ravindra Jadeja is a major doubt for the opening clash against the West Indies. The all-rounder is reportedly dealing with a knee injury that could potentially rule him out of the three-match series.

Jadeja, who was appointed Shikhar Dhawan's deputy for the ODIs in the Caribbean, has been dealing with multiple injuries over the last couple of months. The 33-year-old missed out on the tour of South Africa due to a forearm injury.

He was ruled out of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) midway through the league stage as well.

Backing the bowling unit to come good despite Jadeja's probable absence, Shikhar Dhawan said during the pre-match press conference:

"Right now, he has a bit of a niggle so we don't know whether he will be ready or not for the first ODI. Other than that, [Mohammed] Siraj is there, Prasidh [Krishna] is there, and we have got amazing fast bowling."

He added:

"In spin, Axar Patel is there and Yuzvendra Chahal is there, we have a good bunch of bowling unit so it will be very impactful."

The selection committee have named a much-altered squad for the ODI series against the West Indies. Major senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were rested to manage their workload.

Despite the absence of these players, the Indian squad boasts balance and enters this series in decent form. The second-string team recently competed in T20I series against South Africa and Ireland, where they amassed valuable experience.

Expressing his delight at having availed the chance to captain the Indian team once again, Shikhar Dhawan said:

"I am quite excited to lead the side. Whenever you get an opportunity to lead the youngsters, I share my experiences with them, I always love to share my experiences and bring impact in their games."

He added:

"Everyone has the skill, but it is also about the mental aspect and hence I share my experiences."

The veteran batter last led the team on the tour of Sri Lanka last year. They competed in three ODIs and three T20Is in the island nation while the senior squad traveled to England to play a five-match Test series.

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"It is a quite balanced side, we have both experience and youth" - Shikhar Dhawan

The primary focus of the tour will be the ensuing five-match T20I series as the T20 World Cup is only a few months away.

However, players from the second-string unit could use this opportunity to cement their place in the squad for future assignments. India are scheduled to play ODIs against Zimbabwe and South Africa in the next couple of months.

Opining that the squad has a good balance of experience and youth, Shikhar Dhawan said:

"It is a quite balanced side, we have both experience and youth. Suryakumar Yadav for example is very experienced, he is young in terms of international cricket, but the kind of maturity he has, Shreyas [Iyer] and Shardul [Thakur] are also playing for a long time."

India will face West Indies in the first ODI at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Friday (July 22).