Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja (born 6 December 1988) is an Indian international cricketer who represents the Indian national cricket team in all formats.

He is an all-rounder, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin.

He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his generation, becoming the fifth Indian and fifth-fastest player to score 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Test cricket in 2021.

Jadeja was born on 6 December 1988 in a Gujarati Rajput Hindu family in Navagam Ghed city of Jamnagar district in Gujarat.

His father Anirudh was a watchman for a private security agency.

His father wanted him to become an Army officer but his interest was in Cricket, he was scared of his father in his childhood.

His mother Lata died in an accident in 2005 and the trauma of his mother's death almost made him quit cricket.

His sister Naina is a nurse.

He lives in Jamnagar.

Jadeja made his first Under-19 appearance for India in 2005 at the age of 16.

He was picked in the Indian squad for the 2006 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka.

India finished runners-up with Jadeja impressing in the final against Pakistan with a haul of 3 wickets.

Jadeja made his first-class debut in the 2006–07 Duleep Trophy.

He played for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.

Jadeja was vice-captain of the Indian U-19 cricket team that won the World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, under the captaincy of former Indian captain Virat Kohli.

He was the vice-captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup.

He played a crucial role with the ball in the tournament, taking 10 wickets in 6 games at an average of 13.

Jadeja caught the attention of the national selectors with his strong all-round showing in the 2008–09 Ranji Trophy – 42 wickets and 739 runs – and was picked for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on 8 February 2009 and scored an unbeaten 60 off 77 balls in that match.

His international debut came in the final match of the series on 8 February 2009, where he scored 60*, although India lost the match.

In the 2009 World Twenty20, Jadeja was criticised for not scoring fast enough in India's loss to England.

After the incumbent all-rounder Yusuf Pathan suffered a loss of form, Jadeja took his place at No. 7 in the ODI team in late 2009.

In the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Cuttack on 21 December 2009, Jadeja was awarded the man of the match award following a haul of four wickets.

His first came in early November 2011 against Orissa, in which he scored 314 off 375 balls.

However, his Test debut came almost four years later, on 13 December 2012, against England at Nagpur.

Jadeja was bought for $2 million by the Chennai Super Kings at the 2012 IPL Players Auction.

In 2012, Jadeja became the eighth player in history, and the first Indian player, to score three first-class triple centuries in his career, joining Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Bill Ponsford, Wally Hammond, WG Grace, Graeme Hick and Mike Hussey.

His second came in November 2012 against Gujarat, in which he scored 303 not out.

His third came against Railways in December 2012, in which he scored 331 runs in 501 balls.

Jadeja reached this milestone at the young age of only 23.

Jadeja was the leading wicket-taker in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and received the man of the match award as a member of the final-winning team.

He represents Saurashtra in first-class cricket and has captained the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

As of August 2023, Ravindra Jadeja is the 8th highest ODI wicket taker for India with 218 wickets.

He was bought by the Gujarat Lions in the 2016 IPL Players Auction for ₹9.5 crores after the Chennai Super Kings were banned from the IPL for two seasons.

Jadeja married politician Rivaba Solanki on 17 April 2016.

On 22 January 2017, Jadeja became the first Indian left-arm spinner to take 150 One Day International wickets, when he dismissed Sam Billings at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

In March 2017, he became the top ranked bowler in the world leaving behind Ravichandran Ashwin who held that position for a long time.

He was announced as captain of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise, for the 2022 IPL season, succeeding MS Dhoni.

He however stepped down in the middle of the season.

They have a daughter born in June 2017.