Ravindra Jadeja celebrating a wicket [Source: bcci.tv]
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja picked up five Delhi wickets, including that of captain Ayush Badoni, Team India international Rishabh Pant and India’s Under-19 World Cup winning skipper Yash Dhull, all within the first couple of sessions at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Taking field for Saurashtra, Jadeja sent down 17.4 overs to pick up his five wickets at an expense of just 66 runs as Delhi’s star-studded batting line-up folded up for 188 in 49.4 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja picks five after Australia horror
Ravindra Jadeja, fresh from his disappointing Test tour of Australia, made instant impact with the ball upon returning to his domestic roots for Saurashtra in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. Playing an Elite Group D match against an Ayush Badoni-led Delhi team at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Jadeja claimed exceptional figures of 5-66 from 17.4 overs.
The Indian cricketer even trapped his fellow national teammate Rishabh Pant for just a run, and dismissed Delhi captain Badoni as well as India’s 2022 Under-19 World Cup winning skipper Yash Dhull. The legendary Indian spinner started off by catching Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan plumb in front before getting Shivam Sharma out stumped to bag his fifth wicket of the innings.
Ravindra Jadeja’s remarkable spell marked his 35th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, which includes 15 five-fers for Team India in Tests.
While Ravindra Jadeja’s success incidentally came at an expense of Rishabh Pant, both cricketers are slated to join the Indian squad next month for the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE. The two cricketers, who were also part of India’s victorious 2024 T20 World Cup winning campaign in the West Indies and the USA last year, were selected in India’s 15-player squad for the impending ODI spectacle by the BCCI earlier this month.