The India national cricket team is currently in Rajkot for the second ODI of the ongoing home series against New Zealand, where Ravindra Jadeja grew up and learned cricket. Ahead of the second ODI starting on January 14, his friends and former teammates in Rajkot are not surprised by the ongoing discussion over his place in the Indian cricket team.
Those who have been playing with Jadeja over the years shared that this phase is another challenge for the Indian all-rounder, because when the going gets tough, the Rajkot cricketer finds a way to carry on, and he is not one to give up quietly.
Bhushan Chauhan recalls Ravindra Jadeja’s early maturity, fight and silent comeback
Bhushan Chauhan, who played with Jadeja for Saurashtra, remembered his combative nature. He said that even in his teenage years, Jadeja was more mature than players much older than him. While others were still enjoying the game, Jadeja already knew what he wanted. His goal was simple. best.
Chauhan, who is now a junior selector at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA), said this mindset shaped his journey and continues to do so even now. Around 2018, during the England tour, Jadeja quietly made changes to his batting.
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He became more solid, more patient and more accurate in his shot selection. That change helped him develop as a Test batsman and over the years, he became one of India’s most dependable players in the longest format of the game.
The Indian Express quoted Bhushan Chauhan as saying, “He was mature beyond his years. His priorities were clear. He always wanted to be number one in all departments, be it running, batting or bowling. He would always say, “Nobody remembers who was number two.”
There was also a time when Jadeja was dropped from the Indian team, and his former teammate revealed that instead of blaming anyone, he accepted it quietly, adding that the star all-rounder never made noise, never complained and gradually regained his place.
Jaydev Shah reveals the simple secret behind Ravindra Jadeja’s long success
Meanwhile, former Saurashtra captain and now SCA administrator Jaydev Shah shared that Ravindra Jadeja never tried to “distract himself to learn new things” and instead stuck to his natural work. He focused on getting his basics right and this simple approach brought him success in the international arena.
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Shah said, “If you have expertise in what you know, the rest doesn’t matter. That’s why he never tried to bowl too many variations. As many would have said, if he could have turned more and taken more wickets, but he never tried to spin too much; with that 10% spin, he won us many games. He became an expert in that 10%.”
Ravindra Jadeja does not even care about the politics going on in the team. He just focused on himself: Shah
There are talks that Jadeja is chasing captaincy and has even left Chennai Super Kings to lead Rajasthan Royals, but Shah insisted that the Indian star never cared about captaincy, money, politics or outside talks. His focus is only on cricket.
He further added, “I don’t think he cares about money or anything. His focus is always only on his cricket game. And he is never bothered by anything. He doesn’t even care about what politics is going on in the team. He just focuses on himself. When I was leading the team, if there was even the slightest turn in the pitch, I knew this guy would do the job for me. Not even once did he want to lead the team; he was just happy to play. Was.”
