Ravindra Jadeja is a forgotten star in Team India and IPL. His career stands tall, just as other cricket legends. This all-rounder is a powerful game-changer in India for over 13 years across different formats.
Ravindra Jadeja, known as a top all-rounder, became the fifth Indian and the fifth quickest globally to hit 2000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket in 2021. He’s got 275 wickets under his belt, putting him at seventh place for most wickets taken for India in Tests. He’s from Gujarat. Jadeja is also a strong batter for Team India in red-ball games. He has scored more than 2800 runs, averaging 36.41, with three hundreds to his name.
Ravindra Jadeja’s white-ball totals, which include over 3000 runs and 271 wickets in both ODIs and T20Is combined, aren’t far behind. Along with four IPL wins, the left-arm spinner has three with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he performed a stunning finale with a six and a four to assist CSK win their fifth title the previous season.
This experienced player is also among the top 10 in India for the most outs in ODIs. He ranks similarly in IPL history as a whole.
While the stats and records are plenty, Ravindra Jadeja’s influence is based on the intangibles of picking up wickets or scoring runs at critical periods for the teams for which he has played. Add to that his fielding, which is perhaps the greatest in the world, and there is no question that Ravindra Jadeja has provided a “3-D” package in all forms that few in cricket history have.
As he turns 35 today, India must recognize that the great cricketer is probably nearing the end of his long career and strive to develop similar all-rounders for the future.
In light of this, let’s examine three young all-round players who potentially replace Ravindra Jadeja.
1. Nishant Sindhu
Just having 19 years under his belt and merely two years playing top-tier cricket, Nishant Sindhu shows promise. He could well be a successor to Ravindra Jadeja for future generations.
Sindhu was included in the Indian U19 squad for the 2022 World Cup after having outstanding success with bat and ball for Haryana at the U14 and U16 levels. The youthful player took six wickets at an economy rate of 3.09 and an average of 16.83 during India’s victorious run.
During the event, Sindhu also amassed 140 runs at a strike rate of above 93 and an average of 46.66.
Sindhu’s versatile abilities boosted his standing, leading to CSK selecting him for the 2023 IPL season. Even though he didn’t play in any match, simply being in the locker room with notable figures like MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja must have had a positive impact.
The franchise just retained the 19-year-old, indicating that Sindhu may ultimately replace or play with Ravindra Jadeja for CSK in his formative years.
Sindhu was also the leading wicket-taker in this year’s ACC Men’s Emerging Cup, taking 11 wickets in five games at an incredible average of 11.81 and an economy rate of less than four. In the present Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has also averaged over 35 with the bat and taken six wickets for Haryana.
Such a trajectory would place Sindhu among the frontrunners to succeed Ravindra Jadeja in the near future.
2. Manav Suthar
Manav Suthar, like Nishant Sindhu, rose to prominence during India’s final run in the 2023 ACC Men’s Emerging Cup.
Suthar struggled with the willow when batting lower in the order, scoring only 28 runs in two innings. Nonetheless, his left-arm spin performed admirably, claiming 10 wickets in five games at an average of less than 20.
He finished with a 3/36 off 10 overs against Pakistan A. This directly contributed to India’s triumphant eight-wicket win during the group stages. In the prior Ranji season, Suthar drew attention for Rajasthan. He clinched 39 wickets over six matches, managing three instances of four-wicket hauls and two cases of five-wicket hauls.
In only his fifth first-class appearance and the third game of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy against Puducherry, he achieved an unlikely double with bat and ball, hitting 96* and taking 8/33 in the first innings.
Manav Suthar then took three more wickets in the second innings, allowing Rajasthan to win by an innings and 101 runs. In the present Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has also taken five wickets in three games.
Suthar is clearly banging on the doors as a like-to-like successor to Ravindra Jadeja, having already been a net bowler for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022 and being part of the Central Zone side in the Duleep Trophy earlier this year.
3. Kishan Singha
During the beginning of 2021, Manipur’s Kishan Singha made a big splash on the domestic Indian arena. Though not particularly remarkable, the 26-year-old has played quite well with bat and ball in red-ball cricket, amassing over 450 runs and 28 wickets in 48 combined List-A and T20 matches.
Singha hit a hattrick against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2022 Ranji Trophy. This shone a light on the left-arm spinner’s skill. From then on, he just got better. On the list of top wicket-takers in this season’s Ranji Trophy, he was third. He had taken 44 wickets in just seven games. His average was brilliant, under 17. His record? Four games with four wickets, three games with five.
Despite just playing 12 first-class games, Singha has impressive stats with both bat and ball. He has taken 61 wickets at little over 20 runs per wicket while scoring over 400 runs at 24.18 runs per wicket with two half-centuries.
In the present Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has taken seven wickets in as many games, demonstrating his growing white-ball brilliance.
Singha, who has a basic and repetitive movement like Ravindra Jadeja, might be a future star, particularly in the red-ball style.