Ravindra Jadeja


Personal Information
Dec 06, 1988 (29 years)
Birth Place
Navagam-Khed, Saurashtra
Bowling Allrounder
Batting Style
Left Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Left-arm orthodox
ICC Rankings
Career Information
Saurashtra, Rajasthan Royals, India U19, India, Board Presidents XI, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Chennai Super Kings, India B, Indians, India A, Gujarat Lions, India Blue, Rest of India
Very few careers in international cricket have transcended the boundaries of myth as that of Ravindra Jadeja, nicknamed 'Sir'. The nickname initially trended more as a joke but the young man...
Full profile
Batting Career Summary
Test 36 53 12 1196 90 29.17 1840 65.0 0 0 8 122 33
ODI 136 93 32 1914 87 31.38 2244 85.29 0 0 10 152 36
T20I 40 18 6 116 25 9.67 124 93.55 0 0 0 6 2
IPL 154 119 42 1821 48 23.65 1483 122.79 0 0 0 128 61
Bowling Career Summary
M Inn B Runs Wkts BBI BBM Econ Avg SR 5W 10W
Test 36 69 10179 3952 171 48/7 154/10 2.33 23.11 59.53 9 1
ODI 136 132 6806 5561 155 36/5 36/5 4.9 35.88 43.91 1 0
T20I 40 40 811 983 31 48/3 48/3 7.27 31.71 26.16 0 0
IPL 154 126 2171 2809 93 16/5 16/5 7.76 30.2 23.34 1 0
Career Information
Very few careers in international cricket have transcended the boundaries of myth as that of Ravindra Jadeja, nicknamed 'Sir'. The nickname initially trended more as a joke but the young man from Saurashtra took all the criticism and mock comments in his stride to turn the tables in spectacular fashion. A disastrous 2009 World T20 made him the laughing stock, particularly among the naturally combusible Indian fans who were baying for his blood back home. The 2009-10 season went haywire for the young man whose only solace was the immense backing from his skipper MS Dhoni who was adamant in his support of the all-rounder.

A few quiet seasons followed and Jadeja unassumingly pegged away at the domestic circuit. Although known as a proper all-rounder there , it was evident that he was a more effective bowler, having the ability to hit a spot with relentless accuracy. Batting skills were no less - he has three triple tons in First-class cricket - that sums things, doesn't it? Jadeja was slowly working his way in limited-overs cricket but clearly, it was his Test debut that changed his fortunes in a big way. His initiation in red-ball cricket came in a dead rubber of the home series against England in 2012-13. However, a fairly decent debut meant that he was retained when the Australians toured India in early 2013. Jadeja starred in that series along with the lead spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as India recorded a historic whitewash over the Aussies.

The same year he shone in India's Champions Trophy title glory, gaining the Golden Ball for his terrific bowling performances in the tournament. That international season was an emphatic statement - Jadeja had arrived. Since then, he hasn't looked back, becoming a force to reckon with in Tests, particularly in the sub-continent as India charged to number one in the rankings. His association with Ashwin has dismantled many an opposition batting line-up and is easily the best spin attack in the world. Injuries did hamper his form in the shorter formats and the new rule changes post the 2015 World Cup saw him being ineffective in white-ball cricket. Ashwin also struggled and the duo found themselves out of the limited-overs squads since the 2017 Champions Trophy ended.

India did finish runners-up in the showpiece event but there was a feeling that the vaunted Test partnership of Ashwin-Jadeja wasn't being replicated in white-ball cricket. The advent of wrist spinners has made things tough although Jadeja's multi-dimensional skills does keep him in the hunt. He is arguably India's best fielder and can tonk a few with the bat apart from his bowling skills. Whether or not he can make a comeback remains to be seen, especially with the clock ticking as far as the 2019 World Cup is concerned. Initially a spinner who relied mostly on the flatter trajectory, he has evolved into a more complete left-arm slow bowler who does vary the pace and use the crease to outsmart the batsman.

Jadeja's rise does have a lot to do with Dhoni's undying support but it was actually the IPL that found the Saurashtra boy - or rather the legendary Shane Warne to be precise. As captain of the Rajasthan franchise, the Australian spotted Jadeja's prowess and had said back in 2008-09 that this 'Rockstar' would go places. He wasn't wrong at all. After featuring for Rajasthan briefly, Jadeja became an integral part of the Chennai outfit till the squad was briefly suspended after the 2015 season. During the side's two-year hiatus, its players were scattered across and Jadeja found himself with his native Gujarat franchise - a temporary side. With the Chennai squad returning from the 2018 season onwards, he was among the three people retained - proof enough of how much he is valued there. His white-ball form has seen a dip in recent times even in domestic cricket and he'll be keen to turn things around.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan