Ravindra Jadeja quit T20Is following India’s World Cup triumph in 2024, but there has been no let-up when it comes to his dedication and work ethic.
This has been a standout feature of Jadeja’s game right through his career and, as a result, none can complain about his commitment. Having returned to Rajasthan Royals this IPL, he has been the quintessential pro.
Following a lean patch in the early part of the season, Jadeja delivered an all-round performance on Wednesday to help the Royals secure a convincing 40-run win
over Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow.
“When I come to the ground, I leave my personal ego in the hotel room. I just think about contributing in whatever way the team wants. I wanted to take it deep in this game, because if I had gotten out in the 17th or 18th over playing a wrong shot, we wouldn’t have reached 159 and might have fallen 20-25 runs short.
“Chasing a smaller target might then have been easier for LSG. In T20 cricket, every surface, condition, and match situation is different, so you have to adapt accordingly.
“If, on a given day, the team feels that I have a negative match-up against a particular batter, I understand that. It might work, or it might not; that’s part of the game.”
Jadeja made 43 off 29 balls and then picked up one for 29 in four overs to clinch the Man of the Match award.
The 37-year-old played the waiting game on Wednesday with the LSG pacers making good use of the surface at the Ekana Stadium.
“When I was batting, it wasn’t that easy. LSG have quality fast bowlers, who were bowling with pace and in good areas. It was a red-soil surface, so there was bounce, and they were getting the ball to seam.
“We kept losing wickets and couldn’t build any partnerships. So, Donovan (Ferreira) and I spoke about taking the innings deep. Unfortunately, he got out at the wrong time.
“I was just calculating the overs and was aware that Mayank Yadav might bowl the final over. I just wanted to use his pace... Three of the deliveries were short, and he played a bluff by bowling one full, but luckily, I was able to score a boundary off that as well. We got those 20 runs, and as a team, you gain confidence when your bowlers have a few extra runs to play with.”