Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has named Ravindra Jadeja as the best fielder in modern cricket, highlighting his exceptional abilities across all positions on the field. The former Indian pacer praised Jadeja’s consistency in fielding performance since his debut in 2008-09, emphasising his superior all-round fielding skills compared to legends like Jonty Rhodes, AB de Villiers, and Andrew Symonds.
Nehra shared his thoughts during a conversation with Star Sports, where he elaborated on Jadeja’s unique fielding abilities.
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“I have seen a lot of big fielders, some are good in the outfield, some inside, like Jonty Rhodes, he is the best inside the circle. If you speak about all-around fielding, AB de Villiers’ name comes in, but Andrew Symonds and Jadeja. but I would put Jadeja ahead of them. It’s not because of his age. When he came in 2008-09 and now, he is still the same. It is his fitness, I don’t know what he eats. If he is eating something different, he should tell us,” Nehra explained.
Former Indian off-spinner R Ashwin also recently spoke about Jadeja’s under-appreciated talents on his YouTube channel show ‘Ash Ki baat’.
“Our media fails to appreciate when a player does well. Whenever we lose, everyone becomes a villain. Jadeja goes always under the radar. He is a ‘Jackpot Jango’. He is +10 in the field, also bowls well and bats in pressure situations as well. We don’t give Jadeja enough credit,” Ashwin stated.
Ashwin, who stands as India’s second-highest wicket-taker with 765 wickets behind Anil Kumble’s 953, acknowledged Jadeja’s superior natural abilities.
“Jadeja is way more gifted than I ever can. He is a born athlete. His major advantages lie in his physical fitness. He is naturally fit. Even at this age, he can cover the entire area from long on to deep square leg while standing at mid-wicket. I wouldn’t be surprised. And I will be more than happy for him,” Ashwin added.
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Jadeja’s contributions extend beyond fielding, as he has proven himself valuable with both bat and ball in various match situations.
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