“With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 Internationals,” wrote Ravindra Jadeja right after India clinched the T20 World Cup in South Africa. A special 15-year career came to a close in 2024. When people discuss Ravindra Jadeja, they don’t immediately associate him with the T20I format or even see him as a great in ODIs. His true dominance lies in Test cricket, where he has been exceptional. In T20Is, however, he was never regarded as the best but always the dependable contributor.
Known as ‘Sir Jadeja’, he brought a constant approach, supporting the team and creating impactful moments. Now, Jadeja has ended his T20I career at its pinnacle, winning the T20 World Cup 2024. Following legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he became the third senior cricketer to retire from T20 Internationals after the T20 World Cup. Notably, he is also the third Indian player with one of the longest T20I careers, after Rohit and Dinesh Karthik.
Debut in 2009 in Srilanka and the journey goes on
After a successful IPL season with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008, Ravindra Jadeja made his international debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka. Interestingly, he began his career on foreign soil and retired on foreign soil, bringing his journey full circle. He played in Colombo, Wellington, and Nottingham during his early years. Jadeja’s first T20I match in India was in Mohali, and it wasn’t until December 2012, in Pune, that he had his first batting opportunity on home soil—although he remained not out at zero.
Contributions over the years & Heroics
Jadeja has been a consistent presence in the team since 2009, rarely being sidelined for long periods. He featured in every T20 World Cup for India except the 2022 edition, which he missed due to injury. The long wait for a T20 World Cup trophy finally ended in 2024.
Over his World Cup career, Jadeja played 30 matches and claimed 22 wickets. His ability to influence games wasn’t just limited to his batting and bowling; his fielding was equally match-defining. A moment etched in memory is his stunning catch during the 2016 T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh. With India on the brink of elimination, Jadeja’s spectacular diving catch of Mahmudullah at deep square leg, off Hardik Pandya’s delivery, turned the game around and saved India’s campaign.
As fans bid farewell to Jadeja’s T20I career this year, they look forward to witnessing more miracles in Test and ODI cricket and his thrilling performances in the IPL. The legend may have retired from T20Is, but his journey in cricket is far from over.
Ravindra Jadeja’s T20I stats
Batting stats
| Matches | 74 |
| Innings (Batting) | 41 |
| Not Out | 17 |
| Runs | 515 |
| Highest Score | 46* |
| Batting Average | 21.45 |
| Balls Faced | 405 |
| Strike Rate | 127.16 |
| 100s | 0 |
| 50s | 0 |
| 4s | 39 |
| 6s | 14 |
Bowling stats
| Innings (Bowling) | 71 |
| Balls (Bowling) | 1356 |
| Runs Conceded | 1612 |
| Wickets | 54 |
| Best Bowling in Innings | 3/15 |
| Best Bowling in Match | 3/15 |
| Bowling Average | 29.85 |
| Economy | 7.13 |
| Strike Rate (Bowling) | 25.1 |
| 4w | 0 |
| 5w | 0 |
| 10w | 0 |
