Ace Ace Ace Ravindra Jadeja made a stunning return to domestic cricket while playing for Saurashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The 36-year-old all-rounder played a crucial role in Saurashtra’s dominant win over Delhi, unlike other international players who faced challenges.
Ravindra Jadeja starred with the ball on the first day (Thursday, January 23) of the match against Delhi at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The left-arm spinner recorded bowling figures of 17.4-2-66-5. He dismissed Sanat Sangwan, Yash Dhull, Ayush Badoni, Harsh Tyagi and Navdeep Saini in the first innings.
Ravindra Jadeja named man of the match for exceptional bowling
The veteran cricketer helped Saurashtra Bowl Delhi for 188 during the spell, also completing 200 runs in the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra. With the bat, Jadeja added 38 runs from 36 balls before being dismissed by Shivam Sharma. Saurashtra finished the first innings with 271 runs, taking an 83-run lead.
The left-arm spinner went through Delhi’s batting order in the second over of the recently concluded match. He took seven wickets for just 38 runs as Delhi were bowled out for 94. His victims were Ayush Badoni and Rishabh Pant. The all-rounder finished the match with 12 wickets for 104 runs.
For his outstanding efforts, Jadeja was named man of the match. With just 12 runs to chase in the second innings, Saurashtra’s openers Harvik Desai and Arpit Vasavada quickly completed the target in 3.1 overs, securing a bonus-point victory. Jadeja’s performance helped Saurashtra win the match by 10 wickets.
Rishabh Pant struggled in both the innings of the match
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant struggled in both the innings of the match, scoring just 1 in the first innings and 17 in the second. He was dropped by Indian teammate Ravindra Jadeja. Delhi captain Ayush Badoni was the top performer, scoring 60 in the first innings and 44 in the second.
Virat Kohli, who was initially expected to play the game, pulled out due to injury but is likely to feature in Delhi’s final match against Railways on January 30. Delhi are third in the Group D table with 14 points after 6 matches. They won only one game, drew three matches and lost two in the season.
Ravindra Jadeja had to return to action in the ODI series against England
Ravindra Jadeja made his first appearance in the Ranji Trophy since 2023, following new BCCI directives regarding the availability of players for national teams when not on national duty. The move by the board follows Team India’s 1-3 loss to Australia in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
Jadeja was also part of the Indian squad during the recent Test series in Australia. He will next be seen in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series against England at home. The spinner will play for India in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan and Dubai.
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