He recently broke Kapil Dev's long standing record of highest score by an Indian batter at No.7 in Tests after scoring a phenomenal 175 in the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month and the former Indian captain has now responded by being effusive in his praise for the 33-year-old star who is now the No.1 ranked all-rounder in Test cricket asper the ICC rankings.
Ravindra Jadeja did not just prove his worth with the bat, he picked nine wickets as well, which included his 11th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Jajdea hence became the first cricketer ever to pick nine wickets and score 150-plus runs in a single Test match.
Hailing his efforts during an event in Faribabad, Kapil said, “I love Ravindra Jadeja’s game among the new cricketers because he plays without pressure. He enjoys cricket. That’s why he is good at bowling as well as batting. He also does a great job in fielding. I believe that nothing can be done properly under pressure. If you take pressure in the field of cricket, then your performance will be bad."
Jadeja soon became the No.1 ranked all-rounder, dethroning West Indies' Jason Holder from the top spot with his Mohali masterclass. Holder had held the top spot since February 2021. And for Jadeja, he returned as No.1 for the second time in his career, having earlier held the position back in August 2017. He also made a significant jump in the bowler's list, moving three places up to take the 17th spot and jumped 17 places up to take the 34th spot among batters.
Kapil Dev also picked Chennai's Chepauk Stadium as his favourite venue, where he has played 11 Test matches for India scoring 707 runs laced with two centuries and also picked 40 wickets.
"I can proudly say that Chepauk is one of the grounds where I never failed," he said.