ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Kedar Jadhav declared fit, to travel with Indian cricket team to UK

Kedar Jadhav’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 prospects looked in doubt after he suffered a shoulder injury in Chennai Super Kings’ last league game against Kings XI Punjab at the PCA stadium in Mohali. Jadhav missed the playoffs and Chennai Super Kings were denied their fourth IPL title as they lost by one run to Mumbai Indians in a thrilling final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. However, Jadhav has been declared fully fit and will travel with the Indian cricket team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Team India physio Patrick Farhart submitted Jadhav's fitness report, which cleared him. The fitness test was conducted on Thursday in Mumbai.

"Kedar's injury was not a serious one and he has fully recovered now. All 15 players who were picked in the squad are travelling to the UK," a team source said. Speculation was rife that if Jadhav will not recover, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will replace him in the squad. Jadhav has scored 1174 runs in 59 ODIs with a strike rate of 102.53, having made his 50-over debut against Sri Lanka in 2014.

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According to the ICC rules, team changes for the ICC Cricket World Cup are permitted only till May 23. England and Pakistan are currently playing a five-match ODI series and it is speculated that both teams will finalise their 15-man squad for the World Cup after the end of the fifth ODI which will take place in Leeds on Sunday.

India will play warm-up matches on May 25 and 28 against New Zealand and Bangladesh respectively before opening their ICC Cricket World Cup campaign against South Africa at The Oval on June 5. This is the fifth time that England is hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup, having hosted earlier in 1975,1979,1983 and 1999. India won the tournament in 1983 in England and they will be aiming for a repeat in 2019, having won the ICC Champions Trophy in the same country in 2013.

The squad for the Indian cricket team was announced on April 15 and it left out Rishabh Pant and got in Dinesh Karthik as the back-up keeper to MS Dhoni.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kedar Jadhav suffered a left shoulder injury during Chennai Super Kings' last league game.
• Kedar Jadhav did not feature in the playoffs for Chennai Super Kings.
• India will begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 at The Oval.