Ravindra Jadeja has finally spoken about his unexpected removal from the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the 2022 IPL season. Back then, he was handed the reins of the team after MS Dhoni stepped down. However, CSK’s poor start under his leadership, with four consecutive losses, placed them at the bottom of the points table. After just eight matches, Dhoni was reinstated as the skipper.
Despite the leadership change, CSK couldn’t recover and missed out on the playoffs. The situation sparked rumours of a possible fallout between Jadeja and the franchise, with reports suggesting he might part ways with CSK. But he silenced the speculation by staying on and delivering a title-winning performance in the 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans.
Opens Up on Ashwin’s Podcast
Jadeja addressed the captaincy issue publicly for the first time on teammate Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube show, ‘Kutti Stories With Ash.’ He shared how tough the period was and acknowledged the challenges that came with the role.
“It was difficult. In T20 cricket, every ball is an event. It is a fast game, but for me it was an experience. I could have done better. As a captain, if you are team is not doing well, then all the blame falls on the captaincy. Thinking, bowling changes, fielding chances. Unfortunately, the team was not doing well. If we were winning and everyone was contributing, then it was not rocket science,” said Jadeja.
He emphasised that while he tried to lead effectively, the team’s lack of performance made things harder.
Team Performance Makes All the Difference
Ravindra Jadeja pointed out that T20 is an unpredictable format where the captain often takes the blame when the team underperforms. He reflected on how everything can appear negative when results don’t go a team’s way.
“Sometimes, normal things work, but when your players, batters and bowlers don’t contribute, you cannot win in the T20 format. I felt I could have done better, could I have done differently?” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of strategic moves, such as adjusting the batting order to maintain momentum.
“A few days ago, I thought, but then I realised that when batsmen and bowlers don’t contribute, then everything looks negative. If you perform well, then everything looks well. This change worked. In the T20 format, batting order needs to be shuffled,” said Jadeja.
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