Delhi coach Ajay Jadeja to miss team’s Ranji Trophy opener

Ajay Jadeja will miss Delhi’s opening game against Rajasthan. (Source: File)

Delhi cricket team’s chief coach Ajay Jadeja will not be present in the dressing room when the Gautam Gambhir led side play their opening match of the Ranji Trophy against Rajasthan, in Jaipur on Friday.

While the official reason given is that Jadeja’s son is unwell and that is the reason he has decided to skip the tie, the other theory being floated is that he is unhappy with the appointment of Amit Bhandari as the bowling coach.

“Ajay (Jadeja) has informed us that he would not be able to perform the coach’s duty as his son is not well. He is expected to join the team from the second match,” DDCA president Sneh Prakash Bansal said.

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When asked if Bhandari’s appointment by the Sports Committee led to Jadeja’s decision to stay away, Bansal said,”I don’t think that can be the reason. For us, Ajay is the chief coach and his decisions are final. If there would have been such a problem, we would have removed Bhandari as Jadeja is more important to us.”

But there are people in the know of things, who have said that Jadeja didn’t like the fact that Sports Committee forcefully added the former India seam bowler alongside him in the coaching staff.