Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja: A Brief Biography

Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja, widely known as Ravindra Jadeja, is a highly acclaimed Indian cricketer who has made significant contributions to the Indian national cricket team across all formats. He has earned a reputation as one of the finest cricketers globally, achieving the status of the number one ranked ODI bowler and Test bowler at various points in his career. In addition to his remarkable bowling skills, Jadeja has also showcased his proficiency with the bat and has consistently ranked among the top five Test all-rounders. His journey in cricket began at a tender age when he debuted for India's Under-19 division at the age of 16. Subsequently, he received his first ODI cap in 2009, followed by his Test cap in 2012. Jadeja's exceptional talent led to his acquisition by the Chennai Super Kings in 2012, after the disbandment of the Kochi Tuskers, for a substantial sum of around $2 million. During the 2017 series against Australia, he demonstrated his prowess by claiming 25 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, and scoring two half-centuries in just four Test matches. Jadeja also played a pivotal role as the vice-captain of the Indian U-19 cricket team that clinched the World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, under the leadership of former Indian captain Virat Kohli. In March 2017, he achieved the pinnacle of his career by becoming the top-ranked bowler in the world, surpassing Ravichandran Ashwin, who had held that position for an extended period. Furthermore, he assumed the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise for the 2022 IPL season, succeeding the legendary MS Dhoni. However, he relinquished the captaincy midway through the season. Notably, in the recent final of the 2023 IPL, with Chennai Super Kings requiring 10 runs from the last two balls, Jadeja displayed nerves of steel as he struck a six and a four, securing the title for his team.

Early Life and Family Background

Ravindra Jadeja, born on 6 December 1988 in Navagam Ghed, Gujarat, India, goes by his real name Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja. He holds Indian nationality and belongs to the Asian ethnicity. Jadeja practices Hinduism as his religion and is classified as white in terms of race. At present, he is 34 years old and celebrates his birthday annually on 6 December. As a Sagittarius, his zodiac sign aligns with this birthdate. Jadeja's father, Anirudh Jadeja, worked as a watchman for a private security agency. Although his father aspired for him to pursue a career as an Army officer, Jadeja's passion was in cricket. During his childhood, he harbored a fear of his father. Sadly, in 2005, his mother, Lata Jadeja, met with a tragic accident, and the profound grief caused by her loss almost compelled him to abandon cricket. Jadeja has a sister named Naina, who works as a nurse.

Cricket Career

Domestic career

• Ravindra Jadeja commenced his cricketing journey by representing India in the Under-19 category at the age of 16 in 2005. His notable performance earned him a place in the Indian squad for the 2006 U/19 Cricket World Cup held in Sri Lanka. Despite India finishing as runners-up, Jadeja left a lasting impression, particularly in the final against Pakistan, where he secured a remarkable haul of 3 wickets.
• His skills and leadership qualities were further recognized when he served as the vice-captain of the triumphant Indian team in the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup. Throughout the tournament, Jadeja played a pivotal role with the ball, claiming a total of 10 wickets in 6 matches at an impressive average of 13.
• In the realm of first-class cricket, Jadeja made his debut during the 2006-07 Duleep Trophy. He represented West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, showcasing his talents at the regional level.
• An extraordinary milestone was achieved by Jadeja in 2012, as he became the first Indian player and the eighth player in history to score three triple centuries in first-class cricket. This remarkable feat placed him in the esteemed company of cricketing legends such as Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Bill Ponsford, Wally Hammond, WG Grace, Graeme Hick, and Mike Hussey. His first triple century came in November 2011 against Orissa, where he amassed a staggering 314 runs off 375 deliveries.
• The second triple century was accomplished in November 2012 against Gujarat, with Jadeja remaining unbeaten on 303 runs. Lastly, in December 2012, he achieved his third triple-century against Railways, scoring 331 runs off 501 balls. Remarkably, Jadeja reached this extraordinary milestone at the tender age of 23.
• Further solidifying his credentials, Jadeja became the fifth-fastest player to achieve the remarkable double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket during his 56-run innings against England in Nottingham. This accomplishment highlighted his prowess as an all-rounder and further cemented his place among cricket's elite.

International career

• Jadeja garnered attention from national selectors through his exceptional all-round performance in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy, where he claimed 42 wickets and scored 739 runs. As a result, he was chosen for the ODI series in Sri Lanka. Making his international debut in the final match of the series on 8 February 2009, Jadeja made an impressive score of 60*, despite India's loss. However, he faced criticism during the 2009 World Twenty20 for not scoring at a faster pace in India's defeat against England. Following Yusuf Pathan's loss of form, Jadeja took his place at No. 7 in the ODI team later in 2009. His notable performance in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Cuttack on 21 December 2009 earned him the man of the match award, thanks to his four-wicket haul. His best bowling figures in an ODI are 4-32.
• Jadeja made a comeback in the Indian ODI side during the third ODI against England at The Oval in London. Coming in to bat with India struggling at 58-5 after 19 overs, he played a crucial innings of 78, forming a partnership of 112 runs with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and adding 59 runs in just 5.1 overs with Ravichandran Ashwin. His all-round contribution, which included figures of 2-42 from his 9 overs, earned him the title of "player of the match," although England emerged victorious in the rain-affected game. In the fourth ODI at Lord's, his performance was mixed, with a poor throw from the boundary resulting in four crucial overthrows, but he redeemed himself by taking a catch on the boundary off the final ball.
• During the second T20I of the Australian tour in February 2012, Jadeja showcased his skills by taking figures of 1/16 in 3 overs and effecting two run-outs in the Australian innings. His impressive performance played a pivotal role in India's victory, leading to him being awarded the Man of the Match, primarily due to his outstanding fielding efforts.
• Following his remarkable start to the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season, where he scored two scores of over 300 runs in four matches, Jadeja was called up to join the 15-member India Test team for the fourth Test against England at Nagpur. In his Test debut against England, he bowled 70 overs and claimed 3/117.
• Notably, in the second ODI of the India-England series at Kochi, Jadeja played a crucial role by scoring 61 off just 37 balls, propelling India to a total of 285. In the second innings, he bowled an exceptional spell of 2 for 12 in 7 overs, contributing to India's victory by a margin of 127 runs and leveling the series 1-1. This outstanding performance earned Jadeja the well-deserved Man of the Match award.
• In the historic 4-0 home Test series win against Australia in February-March 2013, Jadeja showcased his brilliance by taking 24 wickets, with Australian captain Michael Clarke being his victim on five occasions out of six in the series. Despite his limited contributions with the bat, Jadeja's seven-wicket haul, including a five-for in the second innings of the final Test match, earned him the Man of the Match award. He played a significant role in India's triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets, which earned him the Golden Ball. He also contributed with an unbeaten 33 runs in the final against England. Additionally, Jadeja was named in the ICC and ESPNCricinfo 'Team of the Tournament.'
• In August 2013, Jadeja achieved the top position in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, becoming the first Indian bowler since Anil Kumble in 1996 to reach the summit. He joined the elite group of Kapil Dev, Maninder Singh, and Kumble as the fourth Indian bowler to attain this ranking.
• On 20 July 2014, Jadeja scored his maiden Test fifty against England, rescuing India who were struggling at 235/7. He made 68 runs from just 57 balls, with his partnership of 99 runs alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar helping India set a target of 319.
• Jadeja was selected for the 2015 Cricket World Cup despite not being fully fit due to a shoulder injury. He claimed 9 wickets in 8 games but had modest returns with the bat, scoring only 57 runs from 5 innings. India ultimately lost in the semi-final against Australia. Following a poor performance in the subsequent ODI series in Bangladesh, he was dropped from the Indian team.
• Jadeja made a strong comeback in the 2015-16 Ranji season, taking 38 wickets in 4 games and scoring 215 runs, including three scores of 50+. His impressive performances earned him a spot in the Indian Test side against South Africa at home, where he played a crucial role in India's victory, taking 23 wickets in 4 games and contributing 109 runs lower down the order. Jadeja was also included in the limited-overs side for the tour of Australia, where he bowled economically in the ODIs and picked up 5 wickets in the T20Is. His fielding skills were also on display, as he took a brilliant catch off his own bowling to dismiss Shane Watson and ran out Aaron Finch, who was batting on 74 at the time.
• Jadeja featured in all four Tests against Australia, taking 25 wickets and scoring two half-centuries, which earned him both the player of the match and player of the series awards.
• He, along with Ravichandran Ashwin, became the first pair of spinners to be jointly ranked as the number one bowler in ICC Test Rankings history. Jadeja also became the fastest left-arm bowler to reach 150 wickets in terms of the number of Tests played (32).
• On 5 October 2018, he scored his first century in Tests. In March 2019, during the second ODI against Australia, Jadeja became the third Indian cricketer to score 2,000 runs and take 150 wickets in ODIs. He was also named in India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
• In the first Test against South Africa in October 2019, Jadeja achieved his 200th wicket in Test cricket. He was later named in India's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
• On 5 March 2022, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, Jadeja broke Kapil Dev's 35-year-old record by scoring an unbeaten 175*, setting the record for the highest score by a No. 7 batsman or below. He also took 9/87 in the match, including figures of 5/41 and 4/46 in the two innings, leading India to an innings and 222 runs victory.
• Jadeja scored his first overseas Test century during the fifth Test match of the 2022 Indian tour of England. In July 2022, he was appointed as India's vice-captain for the away ODI series against the West Indies.
• Although selected for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Jadeja couldn't participate due to a serious knee injury. However, after a five-month recovery period, he returned to the Test squad for the home edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and took a five-wicket haul. He also became the fastest Indian to achieve the milestone of 250 wickets and score 2500+ runs in Test cricket.

Indian Premier League

• Ravindra Jadeja was drafted by the Rajasthan Royals for the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 and played a pivotal role in their triumph over the Chennai Super Kings in the final. During that season, Jadeja amassed 135 runs from 14 matches, showcasing a strike rate of 131.06. His standout performance came in the form of an unbeaten 36 runs against the Kings XI Punjab.
• The following year, he had an even more impressive showing, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 110.90 while maintaining an economy rate of under 6.5 runs per over. His exceptional performances led to Rajasthan Royals' captain, Shane Warne, referring to Jadeja as a "rising superstar" and affectionately dubbing him a "Rockstar."
• Jadeja was absent from the 2010 IPL due to a ban resulting from contractual irregularities. In 2011, he was acquired by the Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $950,000. However, the franchise was terminated from the IPL in September 2011. In the 2012 IPL player auction, Jadeja was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for a staggering $2 million (approximately Rs. 9.8 crores) following a tie-breaker with the Deccan Chargers, who had bid the same amount.
• Consequently, Jadeja became the most expensive player in that year's auction. He was awarded the Man of the Match accolade in the second match of the season against the Deccan Chargers for his exceptional all-round performance, which included 48 runs off 29 balls and figures of 5/16 in 4 overs.
• In recognition of his outstanding performances in 2014, Jadeja was named in the Cricinfo CLT20 XI. In a notable IPL match during the 2015 season, he delivered an impressive spin-bowling display against the Rajasthan Royals, claiming four wickets for 11 runs.
• During the 2021 Indian Premier League, in a thrilling encounter, Jadeja played a heroic inning scoring an unbeaten 62 runs, including an extraordinary 37 runs off the final over bowled by Harshal Patel. He also took three wickets for just 13 runs in his four overs, earning him the well-deserved Man of the Match award.
• Ahead of the 2022 IPL season, Jadeja was appointed as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, succeeding MS Dhoni. However, he later relinquished the captaincy and returned it to Dhoni midway through the season. Unfortunately, Jadeja had to withdraw from the tournament due to a rib injury. Subsequently, reports surfaced about a potential rift between Jadeja and the franchise after both parties unfollowed each other on Instagram. Nonetheless, the CEO of CSK clarified that Jadeja's absence was based on medical advice, refuting any allegations of a rift.
• In the final of the 2023 IPL, the Chennai Super Kings found themselves needing 10 runs from the last two balls. Jadeja showcased his brilliance by smashing a six and a four, securing the title for CSK.

Awards and Achievements

• ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2013, 2016
• Madhavrao Scindia Award for most wickets in Ranji Trophy: 2008-2009
• Ranked 1st in ICC Top 10 Test all-rounders (2021)
• Arjuna Award: 2019

Ravindra Jadeja Wife & Daughter

Ravindra Jadeja is a married man. He tied the knot with politician Rivaba Jadeja on 17 April 2016, and their marital bliss has been evident ever since. On 8th December 2022, Rivaba secured a seat in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly as a representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party, specifically representing the Jamnagar North Assembly constituency. The couple welcomed a daughter into their lives in June 2017, further solidifying their happiness. Rivaba has been a pillar of support for Jadeja, understanding and embracing the demands of his profession. Their deep love and understanding have played a vital role in keeping their bond strong over the years. Their commitment to each other is evident, as they enjoy their time together, indicating a lack of extramarital affairs. As for Jadeja's sexual orientation, he identifies as straight.

Ravindra Jadeja's Net Worth & IPL Salary

Ravindra Jadeja has undoubtedly made a name for himself with a net worth of INR 120 crore as of 2023 and an annual salary of INR 8,75,974.00 per year. His calm demeanor and laid-back nature have already garnered him a considerable fan base, and it is anticipated that his popularity will only grow in the future. As he continues to excel in his cricket career, we can expect him to achieve even greater success. Apart from his cricket earnings, Jadeja has also ventured into the world of brand endorsements, working with renowned names such as Gujarat Tourism, Incredible India, Zeven, and Life OK. These endeavors add to his diverse sources of income, further contributing to his financial prosperity. In addition, his major source of income is his cricket career.

Ravindra Jadeja Measurements: Height, Weight & Size

Ravindra Jadeja has undoubtedly reached a commendable level of success in his career. Standing at a height of 5 ft 7 in or 170 cm and weighing 65 kg or 143.5 lbs, he possesses a lean and athletic body build. With his striking features, including his black hair, dark brown eyes, and distinctive heavy beard, Jadeja has a distinct appearance that sets him apart. It is also worth noting that he often sports a cap, which has become a signature part of his style. Moreover, his body build type is athletic.