Jadeja and the art of choking runs

Ravindra Jadeja has been a feature of the Indian team across all three formats of the game since his international debut in 2009. While he has often provided crucial runs in the lowermiddle order, it is his craft of left-arm orthodox spin that has been an invaluable asset to his team for the last 14 years.

- Jemma Green

There have been 116 slow leftarm bowlers that have played ODI cricket since the format's inception, and Jadeja is currently third in the list of leading wicket takers with 220 dismissals in 187 matches. Shakib Al Hasan is the only current player to have more wickets (308 in 233 matches), and Daniel Vettori finished his ODI career with 305 wickets in 276 matches.

Although his career spans 14 years, Jadeja had a dry spell between the start of 2020 and the end of 2022. In this period, he only played 12 ODI matches, taking just eight wickets in total.

However, 2023 saw the left-arm spinner heavily involved in three ODI series and the Asia Cup, all before the World Cup started in October. Although Jadeja's figures weren't exceptional in these games leading up to the World Cup, playing 15 matches (12 of which were in the subcontinent) and bowling just short of 100 overs in 50-overs cricket prepared him well for India's World Cup campaign in their own backyard.

Different approaches