Ravindra Jadeja could not showcase his talent as a leader: Nikhil Chopra

Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2022, MS Dhoni passed the baton of CSK to Ravindra Jadeja. However, the team could secure only two wins in eight league matches, and the all-rounder relinquished his captaincy, which put Dhoni again at the helm of the affairs. In another shocking development, Jadeja sustained a rib injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. In the latest interaction, the former Indian cricketers Nikhil Chopra and Lalchand Rajput shared their views on Jadeja’s captaincy and his form.

Chopra reckoned that even though Jadeja was leading CSK in the first half, Dhoni oversaw the bowling and field changes on the field. He recalled the decision of Jadeja giving the ball to the all-rounder Shivam Dube in the 19th over of the game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), despite the all-rounder himself having his two overs left. The former bowler hopes to see a different kind of leader in Jadeja in the upcoming seasons, who uses his experience to make the right decisions.

“When Jaddu [Jadeja] was captain, nothing was different, as Dhoni only managed the team. In the match against LSG, Jaddu’s over was remaining, but he still gave 19th over to Shivam Dube. In this season, we couldn’t judge him as a leader, because he could not control the team’s scheme of things, maybe he did not get the opportunity to showcase what he actually wanted to do as a captain. I want to see a different kind of Jaddu, who would use his experience to manage the team,” said Chopra on Sky247.net presents ‘Not Just Cricket’ Show on CricTracker.

Captaincy took a heavy toll on Ravindra Jadeja: Lalchand Rajput

Rajput felt that CSK will surely miss the services of Jadeja, but admitted that the all-rounder was not in good touch this season in both departments. He thinks the captaincy burden put enough pressure on Jadeja, which was reflected in his performances. The 60-year-old concluded by terming Jadeja as a utility player and reckoned that if the all-rounder had continued playing in this season, he would have found success due to the nature of the pitches in the second half.

“Obviously, Chennai will miss the services of Jadeja as he was an important player and brought value to the team. But, he couldn’t perform well this year in both the departments, because I think the captaincy took a heavy toll on him. He serves as a key player for the team, due to his ability to contribute runs when promoted at the top and lower middle-order as well. But, if he would have continued, he would have got a fine purchase with the pitches getting slower,” said Rajput.