Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja Quick Facts

Why Ravindra Jadeja Matters

Ravindra Jadeja is the rare cricketer who could hold a Test place as a specialist in either discipline. His left-arm spin has been at the heart of India’s dominance at home for most of the past decade, and his batting at number six or seven has grown into genuine top-order insurance. Add the best fielding in the Indian side for well over ten years, and few players have offered more value per selection. In August 2026 he joined Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori in the club of players with 4,000 Test runs and 350 Test wickets, and he got there in fewer matches than any of them. At 37 he remains first choice in Tests and ODIs.

Ravindra Jadeja Career Stats

Early Life and Family

Jadeja was born on 6 December 1988 in Navagam Ghed in Gujarat’s Jamnagar district. His father, Anirudhsinh, worked as a watchman for a private security agency, and his mother, Lata, died in an accident in 2005. He has a sister, Naina. Jadeja was vice-captain of the India team that won the 2008 Under-19 World Cup and has played domestic cricket for Saurashtra since 2006.

Breakthrough: From Jamnagar to the Test Team

Jadeja grew up in modest circumstances in Jamnagar, the city that also produced Ranjitsinhji and Vinoo Mankad. He came through Saurashtra’s junior ranks, and in 2008, months after the Under-19 World Cup win, he was part of Shane Warne’s title-winning Rajasthan Royals squad in the first IPL, and Warne memorably called him a “rockstar”. His ODI debut followed in February 2009, but the turning point came in domestic cricket. In late 2012 he scored his third first-class triple century, 331 against Railways, and that December he was handed his Test debut against England in Nagpur. Within a year he was leading the ICC ODI bowling rankings.

Ravindra Jadeja International Career Journey

Jadeja established himself in India’s limited-overs side and made his Test debut in December 2012. In August 2013 he became the first Indian bowler since Anil Kumble to top the ICC ODI bowling rankings. On 17 August 2026, during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, he took his 350th Test wicket.

Ravindra Jadeja ICC Tournament Record

Ravindra Jadeja IPL Record

Jadeja played in Rajasthan Royals’ title-winning side in the first IPL season in 2008. He spent most of his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings, where he is the franchise’s leading wicket-taker. Ahead of the 2026 season he was traded back to Rajasthan Royals, along with Sam Curran, in the deal that took Sanju Samson to Chennai.

Match-Winning Performances

Jadeja’s career is dotted with performances that turned tournaments. In the 2013 Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston, cut to 20 overs a side by rain, he scored 33 not out and took 2 for 24 to win Player of the Match. In the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Old Trafford he walked in with India on 92 for 6 and struck 77 off 59 balls, coming within a few blows of an improbable win. At Mohali in March 2022 he made an unbeaten 175 and took nine wickets in the match against Sri Lanka.

His IPL signature came in the 2023 final. With Chennai needing ten off the last two balls, he hit Mohit Sharma for six and four. On the 2025 tour of England he scored more than 500 runs, including an unbeaten century at Old Trafford that helped save the fourth Test.

Ravindra Jadeja Records and Milestones

• Fourth player, after Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori, to complete the double of 4,000 Test runs and 350 Test wickets (August 2026)
• Fifth Indian bowler to take 350 Test wickets
• First Indian, and eighth player overall, to score three first-class triple centuries
• Fastest left-arm bowler to 150 Test wickets (32 Tests)
• First Indian left-arm spinner to take 150 ODI wickets
• Highest Test score in India by a batter at number seven or lower (175* v Sri Lanka, 2022)

Ravindra Jadeja Awards and Honours

Playing Style and Technique

Jadeja’s bowling is built on accuracy rather than prodigious turn. He is quick through the air for a spinner and has a short, brisk action that lets him get through overs at remarkable pace. He attacks the stumps relentlessly, so any ball that skids on or straightens becomes a wicket-taking delivery, and on worn pitches the one that grips out of the rough makes him close to unplayable. His batting has grown from a slogger’s game into a sound defensive method against pace, with a compact backlift and good judgement outside off stump. In the field he remains one of the fastest and most accurate throwers in world cricket.

Current Form (2025-26) and Outlook

Jadeja’s 2026 has underlined his longevity. Back at Rajasthan Royals, he took ten wickets as they reached the IPL playoffs, winning the Eliminator before losing Qualifier 2 to Gujarat Titans. He reached 350 Test wickets at Galle on 17 August in a Test India won by 165 runs on the way to a 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka, and he was part of the ODI squad that beat West Indies 2-1 at home. With the New Zealand tour next, he remains the senior spinner in India’s Test attack.

Personal Life

Jadeja married Rivaba Solanki on 17 April 2016, and the couple have a daughter, born in 2017. Rivaba Jadeja is a Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ravindra Jadeja

When was Ravindra Jadeja born?

Ravindra Jadeja was born on 6 December 1988 in Navagam Ghed, Jamnagar district, Gujarat.

Has Ravindra Jadeja retired?

He retired from T20 Internationals after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup. He continues to play Test and ODI cricket for India.

Which IPL team does Ravindra Jadeja play for?

He plays for Rajasthan Royals, who reacquired him in a trade with Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2026 season.

How many Test wickets has Ravindra Jadeja taken?

He reached 350 Test wickets on 17 August 2026 during the Galle Test against Sri Lanka.