Ravindra Jadeja Biography
Calm under pressure and lethal with bat and ball, Ravindra Jadeja has quietly become one of India’s most dependable match-winners.He stands between balance and brilliance.
Perosnal Overview
Full Name: Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja
Date of Birth: 6 December 1988
Age: 37 years (as of early 2026)
Birthplace: Navagam Ghed city,Jamnagar district in Gujarat
Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Role: Left-handed All-rounder
Teams: Saurashtra, Rajasthan Royals, India U19, India A,India
Education: He attended a local school in Jamnagar
Estimated Net Worth: ₹120 crore to ₹123 crore
Early Life
Jadeja was born on 6 December 1988 in a Gujarati Hindu Rajput family in Navagam Ghed city of Jamnagar district in Gujarat.
His father Anirudh was a watchman for a private security agency. His father wanted him to become an Army officer but his interest was in cricket, he was scared of his father in his childhood.
In his early days, Jadeja was trained under coach Mahendra Singh Chauhan at a local cricket academy in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
With limited resources but relentless discipline, he focused on sharpening his left-arm spin and building resilience.
After losing his mother at a young age, cricket became both his escape and his purpose and the trauma of his mother’s death almost made him quit cricket.
His sister Naina is a nurse.
Domestic Career
Jadeja made his first-class debut in the 2006–07 Duleep Trophy. He played for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.
In 2012, Jadeja became the eighth player in history, and the first Indian player, to score three first-class triple centuries in his career, joining Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Bill Ponsford, Wally Hammond, WG Grace, Graeme Hick and Mike Hussey.
His first came in early November 2011 against Orissa, in which he scored 314 off 375 balls. His second came in November 2012 against Gujarat, in which he scored 303 not out.
His third came against Railways in December 2012, in which he scored 331 runs in 501 balls. Jadeja reached this milestone at the young age of only 23.
International Career
Jadeja made his first Under-19 appearance for India in 2005 at the age of 16. He was picked in the Indian squad for the 2006 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka.
India finished runners-up with Jadeja impressing in the final against Pakistan with a haul of three wickets.
He was the vice-captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup, under the captaincy of former Indian captain Virat Kohli.
He played a crucial role with the ball in the tournament, taking 10 wickets in six games at an average of 13.60.
He was picked for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.
His international debut came in the final match of the series on 8 February 2009, where he scored 60*, although India lost the match.
In the 2009 World Twenty20, Jadeja was criticised for not scoring fast enough in India’s loss to England.
After the incumbent all-rounder Yusuf Pathan suffered a loss of form, Jadeja took his place at No. 7 in the ODI team in late 2009.
In the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Cuttack on 21 December 2009, Jadeja was awarded the man of the match award following a haul of four wickets. His best bowling is 4–32.
He made a comeback into the Indian ODI side in the third ODI against England at The Oval in London.
Arriving at the crease with India 58–5 after 19 overs, he scored 78, adding 112 with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 59 off only 5.1 overs with Ravichandran Ashwin to help his side reach 234–7 in 50 overs.
He also took 2–42 from his 9 overs and was named “player of the match”, but England won the rain-affected game.
His performance in the fourth ODI at Lord’s was mixed: he gave away four crucial overthrows with a poor throw from the boundary, but then took a catch on the boundary off the last ball.
In the second T20I of the Australian tour in February 2012, Jadeja had figures of 1/16 in 3 overs and effected two run outs in the Australian innings.
India went on to win the game and Jadeja was awarded Man of the Match, mainly for his fielding effort.
After his impressive performance at the start of Ranji Trophy season 2012–13, when he scored two 300+ scores in 4 matches.
He was called up to join the 15-member India Test team to play the fourth Test against England at Nagpur.
In his Test debut against England at Nagpur, he bowled 70 overs and picked 3/117.
During the second ODI in the India-England series at Kochi, Jadeja hit 61 off just 37 balls, which took India to a total of 285.
In the second innings, he bowled a spell of 2 for 12 in 7 overs, helping India beat England by 127 runs and level the series 1–1.
This performance earned Jadeja the Man of the Match award.
In the historic 4–0 home Test series win against Australia in February–March 2013, Jadeja took 24 wickets.
Dismissing the Australian Captain Michael Clarke five out of six times in the series which cemented his place in the team as an all-rounder, despite not contributing much with the bat.
His seven-wicket haul, including a five-for in the second innings of the final Test match, earned him the Man of the Match award.
He played an important role for India in lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. He was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 12 wickets, which won him the Golden Ball.
He made 33* with bat and took 2 wickets in the final against England.
He was ranked as the No.1 bowler in ODI cricket by the ICC in August 2013.
Jadeja was the first India bowler to top the rankings since Anil Kumble, who topped the table in 1996.
Jadeja scored his maiden Test fifty on 20 July 2014, playing against England and saving the match for India, who were struggling at 235/7.
He made 68 runs from just 57 balls. His partnership of 99 with Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped India set England a target of 319.
Jadeja was selected for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand despite not being fully fit due to a shoulder injury. He took 9 wickets in 8 games.
His returns with the bat were modest, scoring just 57 runs from 5 innings.
India went on to lose against Australia in the semi-final. After his poor performance in the next ODI series in Bangladesh, he was dropped from the Indian team.
He was selected for the Indian Test side facing South Africa at home.
Jadeja helped his team achieve victory, by taking 23 wickets in 4 games. He scored 109 runs in the series, which included crucial knocks lower down the order.
Jadeja was included in Indian limited-overs side touring Australia to play five ODIs and three T20Is.
In the ODIs, Jadeja bowled economically in a series where more than 3,000 runs were scored in five matches.
He took three wickets at an economy rate of 5.35.
He was the second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, picking up five wickets in three games.
In the second game of the series, Jadeja took a great catch off his own bowling to get the important wicket of Shane Watson, and he also ran Aaron Finch out, who was batting on 74 at that moment.
During Australia’s Test tour of India in 2017, Jadeja featured in all four Tests against the tourists.
He took 25 wickets and made two half-centuries down the order, which earned him the player of the match in the fourth Test as well as the player of the series award.
During Australia’s Test tour of India in 2017, Jadeja featured in all four Tests against the tourists.
He took 25 wickets and made two half-centuries down the order, which earned him the player of the match in the fourth Test as well as the player of the series award.
He along with Ravichandran Ashwin, became the first pair of spinners to be jointly ranked number 1 bowler in ICC Test Rankings history.
On 5 August 2017, Jadeja became the fastest left-arm bowler to reach 150 wickets in terms of number of Tests played (32).
On 5 October 2018, he scored his first century in Tests.
In March 2019, during the second ODI against Australia, Jadeja became the third cricketer for India to score 2,000 runs and take 150 wickets in ODIs.
In April 2019, he was named in India’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
In October 2019, in the first Test against South Africa, Jadeja took his 200th wicket in Test cricket.
On 6 August 2021, batting during the first innings of the first Test against England at Trent Bridge, Jadeja became the fifth Indian and fifth-fastest player score 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Tests.
In September 2021, Jadeja was named in India’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
His spin-bowling partner on many occasions, R Ashwin, was also named in the squad after 4 years out of the white-ball team.
On 5 March 2022, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, Jadeja scored 175* setting an Indian Test record for the highest score made by a No. 7 or lower, breaking the 36-year-old record of Kapil Dev.
He then took 5/41 and then 4/46 in the two innings, registering match figures of 9/87 to help India beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs.
He scored his first overseas century in the fifth Test match of the 2022 Indian tour of England.
In July 2022, he was named as India’s vice-captain for the away ODI series against the West Indies.
In September 2022, Jadeja was named in the Indian squad for the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup but was unable to play due to a severe knee injury.
Following a five-month recovery, Jadeja returned to the test squad for the home edition of the Border–Gavaskar Trophy on 9 February in Nagpur, where he achieved a Five-wicket haul.
Jadeja Becomes Fastest Indian to Take 250 Wickets and Score 2500+ Runs in Test Cricket.
In May 2024, he was named in India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament.
Indian won the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, after which he announced his retirement from T20Is.
Jadeja was a crucial member of the Indian teams that won the 2013 and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Becoming leading wicket-taker and player of the final in the former and hitting the winning boundary in the latter final.
IPL Career
Ravindra Jadeja was selected by the Rajasthan Royals for the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, and played an important role in their victory (Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final).
Jadeja scored 135 runs from 14 matches at a strike rate of 131.06, his best score being 36* against Kings XI Punjab.
He did even better in 2009, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 110.90, and conceding fewer than 6.5 runs per over.
Shane Warne, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, referred to Jadeja as a “superstar in the making”.
Warne also nicknamed him “Rockstar”.
Jadeja sat out the 2010 IPL because of a ban arising from contractual irregularities.
In 2011, he was bought by the Kochi Tuskers Kerala for.
Kochi Tuskers were terminated from the IPL in September 2011.
In 2012 IPL player auction, Jadeja was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.8 crores at that time after a tie-breaker with Deccan Chargers who bid the same amount.
Jadeja was the most expensive player of the year’s auction.
He won the Man of the Match award in the second match of the season against Deccan Chargers for his all-round performance.
He was bought by the Gujarat Lions in the 2016 IPL Players Auction for ₹9.5 crores after the Chennai Super Kings were banned from the IPL for two seasons.
In 2018 he was back in the Chennai Super Kings.
In the 19th match of the 2021 Indian Premier League, Jadeja hit 62*, including a joint-highest ever 37 runs in the last over bowled by Harshal Patel.
He later took 3/13 in his four overs and was named Man of the Match.
Jadeja was appointed as the captain for the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2022 IPL season, after MS Dhoni step down as captain.
He however stepped down in the middle of the season, handing over the captaincy back to Dhoni.
He was later ruled out of the tournament due to a rib injury.
Jadeja and the franchise later unfollowed each other on Instagram, leading to reports about a rift.
But the CEO of CSK maintained that he was ruled out on medical advice, and denied allegations of the rift.
In the final of the 2023 Indian Premier League final, Chennai Super Kings required 10 from the final two balls.
Jadeja hit a 6 and 4 to give CSK their 4th title.
Ahead of the 2026 season, Jadeja rejoined the Rajasthan Royals by a trade deal with CSK.
Records
6000+ international runs and 500+ international wickets (across formats), placing him among elite all-rounders.
One of the fastest Indian left-arm bowlers to reach 200 Test wickets.
Scored a career-best *175 in a Test match against Sri Lanka (2022).
Ranked No. 1 Test all-rounder multiple times in ICC rankings.
One of the longest-serving players for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Hit 37 runs in a single IPL over (2021), one of the highest in league history.
One of the few Indian cricketers to score three triple centuries in first-class cricket.
Among a rare group of players to achieve the Test double of 1000+ runs and 100+ wickets in relatively few matches.
Recognized as one of India’s finest fielders, with numerous direct-hit run-outs.
Fun and Interesting Facts
Jadeja absolutely loves horses and owns several at his farmhouse in Jamnagar. He often shares pictures riding them — proving he’s just as comfortable in the saddle as he is on the cricket field.
He has multiple nicknames like Thalapathy, Rockstar, Jaddu and Sir Jadeja.
He celebrates his birthday on December 6 with fellow Indian cricketers Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and Karun Nair.
He has a Dragon and a Horse Tattoo on his Arm.
In 2019, he was awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army, a proud moment for him and his fans.
Known for his rocket arm and direct hits, Jadeja is considered among India’s finest fielders. Many batters have been run out by his sharp throws from the deep.
After reaching milestones, Jadeja celebrates by mimicking a sword fight a nod to his Rajput heritage.
Awards
ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2013, 2016
Madhavrao Scindia Award for most wickets in Ranji Trophy: 2008–09
Ranked 1st in ICC Top 10 Test all-rounders (2021)
Arjuna Award: 2019
Personal Life
Jadeja married Rivaba Solanki on 17 April 2016.
They have a daughter born in June 2017.Rivaba is an MLA from Gujarat, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.
His sister and father are members of the Indian National Congress.
