Ravindra Jageja is often referred to as one of the greatest all-rounders to have ever graced the gentlemen’s game. Jadeja’s extraordinary all round attributes have come in handy for India on multiple occasions
and also for the other outfits that he has represented till date. He has been a dependable batsman, an economical baller and a gun fielder every time he has taken to the pitch.
His work ethics and dedication towards the game have often been applauded by a lot of his fellow cricketers. In a recent conversation with The IndianExpress, Jadeja’s former Saurashtra teammate Bhushan Chauhan spoke about a younger version of the all-rounder.
He said that Jadeja was more mature than a lot of players of his age group and that he was very clear about what he wanted unlike many others.
“He was more mature than his age. We understand what we had to do when we were at the last stage of our career but he knew what he had to do way back. Like he knew if he has to be number one in all departments, he has to play for India. His priority was clear. If we were running, he wanted to be number one, if he was bowling he wanted to be number one there too. He always says no one remembers who finished number two,” Another teammate of Jadeja, Jaydev Shah was also all in praise for the Indian international. Shah said that Jadeja always wanted to get better and better and wanted to master all his skills. He was very clear about his goal and never took his eyes off it.
“He didn’t try to divert himself to learn new things. But he just focused on getting better on what he knows. If you have expertise in what you know, then rest doesn’t matter that is why he never tried to change much. Like many people must have said that if he can turn more and can get more wickets but he never tried to spin more, with that 10% of spin he won us so many games. He became an expert in that 10%,”
Shah also added that the four time IPL champion was very far away from the off-field issues like team politics because all he wanted was to play.
“He never cared about captaincy, money or politics. He just wanted to play," Jadeja’s former Ranji teammate Kamlesh Makwana said that he has never come across anyone like Jadeja.
“He was a natural athlete but that doesn’t mean he didn’t work hard. One needs to understand the background he comes from. The only thing he knew was playing cricket and nothing else. There was no other option other than to excel in this sport. So he gave more than what he had, even now the hunger is the same,” Makwana added.
