“I’ve Told Mahi Bhai…”: Ravindra Jadeja Reveals Two Major Influences On His Career

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja opened up about his cricketing journey and how his career has been influenced by two “Mahendras” – skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his childhood coach Mahendra Singh Chouhan. Jadeja started playing cricket in Jamnagar when he was just eight years old and went on to play U-19 cricket for India. He excelled first as a spinner and then as an all-rounder for India and much of his success came under the captaincy of MS Dhoni – both for India and in the Indian Premier League.

“I have told Mahi bhai this as well that, meri cricket ki journey Mahendra Singh Chouhan aur Mahendra Singh Dhoni ke beech me hi rahi hai. That is where my cricket journey started. I started in 1996 when I was eight years old in Jamnagar. Even now I sometimes go that ground to meet sir, practice cannot happen because there are about 300 to 400 kids there so it can become a big crowd,” Jadeja said on Star Sports.

“When I started out I wanted to become a fast bowler. I used to think seeing fast bowlers sending in bouncers that I would also be able to do that but I never had the speed. My coach Mahendra Singh Chouhan, he told me that you are not tall enough or not fast enough so please don’t be under any illusions. At the time I thought, yes I don’t have the height that is required. Then I started bowling left arm spin,” he said.

Jadeja also shared an interesting anecdote about how he developed a taste for spin bowling.

“At the time we were not able to bat too much because the turf wicket was not good. On the other hand when the ball hits a rough and turns a lot, your interest to do that again increases. If you see that you are getting the batter out with big spin, your interest in spin bowling increases and so I started getting more interested in it. It was upto us to make and maintain the wicket and the batter himself had to roll the wickets and stuff. So I thought I don’t want to do all that, I will just stand there with the ball in hand and when the wicket is ready, I will bowl,” said Jadeja.