11 interesting facts about former Indian skipper Ajay Jadeja

Charming, Stylish and effervescence are all distinct characteristics of Ajay Jadeja. Having been a regular in the Indian side from 1992-2000, Jadeja played 15 tests and 196 ODI’s for the country. Jadeja has also been renowned for his excellent fielding prowess. In spite of a match-fixing ban overshadowing Jadeja’s career, he will be mostly remembered for his explosive batting towards the end of the innings.

1. Birth

Jadeja was born in Jamnagar in Gujarat on the 1^st of February 1971.Early Life & Indian Royalty

2. Early Life & Indian Royalty

Born into a Nawanagar Royal family, Jadeja’s relatives include K. S. Ranjitsinhji and K. S. Duleepsinhji after whom the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy are named after. Therefore it is certainly no surprise that Ajay Jadeja found his calling in cricket.Test Debut

3. Test Debut

Ajay Jadeja made his test debut against South Africa in the 1^st test at Durban in November 1992. Opening the innings with Ravi Shastri, the pace and bounce of the wicket proved un-manageable for the young Jadeja as he perished at 3. Jadeja however, didn’t get another opportunity to bat again as day 4 was washed out without a ball being bowled.ODI Debut

4. ODI Debut

Having been named in the Benson & Hedges World Cup in Australia, Ajay Jadeja made his debut in the 9^th Match of the tournament. However, similar to his test debut, Jadeja’s ODI debut at Mackay was ruined as rain played spoilsport once again. Ajay Jadeja remains to be one of the very few players whose test and ODI debuts have been affected by rain.The Waqar Younis Onslaught

5. The Waqar Younis Onslaught

One of Ajay Jadeja’s best moments came in the 1996 world Cup. Playing in front of a jam-packed Bengaluru stadium against Pakistan, Jadeja was once again given the responsibility of closing the Indian innings on a high. Jadeja blasted 45 off just 25 deliveries as the Indian total reached 287 in 50 overs. He was especially merciless against Waqar Younis, one of the greatest Pakistani bowlers at the time. Waqar’s last two overs went for 40 courtesy of some hard hitting from Ajay Jadeja. His cameo is considered by many as one of the greatest knocks in a winning cause in World Cup history.Last First Class Match

6. ODI Captaincy:

Jadeja has skippered India for 13 ODIs between 1997 to 2000. Out of the 13 matches, India won 8 while losing 5 games under his leadership.

7. Last First Class Match

Ajay Jadeja played his final first-class match at the age of 42 against Vidarbha in Nagpur. Captaining the Haryana side, Jadeja scored 33 and 7 as his side lost to Vidharba by 8 wickets.The Bollywood Connection

8. The Bollywood Connection

Jadeja first acted alongside Sunny Deol and Sunil Shetty in Khel in 2003. He also appeared in Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaat in 2009. He also appeared in the first season of dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and reality show Comedy Circus. He also made a cameo appearance in Kai Po Che, playing himself in a commentator’s role.Match Fixing Scandal

9. Match Fixing Scandal

The match-fixing scandal against South Africa will always be a black mark against Ajay Jadeja. In spite of all his cricketing achievements, Jadeja is best remembered for his match-fixing scandal. The scandal saw then Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin loose his post as captaincy while Hansie Cronje and Herschelle Gibbs implicated in the scandal. Also implicated was Ajay Jadeja, who was eventually banned for five years. The ban however, was quashed following a further inquiry into the matter and Jadeja’s domestic and international status was restored.Quite the bowler as well

10. Quite the bowler as well

One of the most memorable moments for Jadeja with the ball came when he picked up three wickets in the same over against England in Sharjah. For someone who has rarely been seen bowling, Jadeja has achieved quite the feat.Coaching and commentary

11. Coaching and commentary

Ajay Jadeja had been the coach of Delhi in June 2015, only to step down a few months later. He has since become a full-time commentator, appearing in the Indian Premier League for the most part of his commentary career.