Star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja disclosed that he was surprised to learn about his appointment as vice-captain for the home Test series against the West Indies when the squad was announced. Although the 36-year-old has previously served as deputy in white-ball formats, this marked his first time taking on the vice-captaincy in his distinguished Test career.
Regular vice-captain Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the West Indies series due to injury, prompting the change in leadership. When asked how he found out about being named Shubman Gill’s deputy for the first Test against the West Indies, Jadeja said (via BCCI.TV):
“They didn’t say anything to me. They just announced the team and I saw that besides my name the VC is written, so I was very happy. And as a player, you always gain confidence whenever you see some kind of gesture from the management, captain and coach. At the end of the day, you are always happy to do good and share your experience for the team.”
The experienced all-rounder shared his excitement over being named Test vice-captain, stating:
“It’s very special for me as a player. They gave me respect because the management, captain, and coach have decided to give me some extra responsibility. I am very happy to do it and whenever the team needed my experience and needed me to say anything regarding planning, I am always happy to do it.”
“Ravindra Jadeja In Tremendous Form Over Past Two Years” – Shubman Gill
Team India captain Shubman Gill lauded Ravindra Jadeja for his outstanding all-round performances over the past two years ahead of the first Test against the West Indies. The star all-rounder has excelled with the bat this year in Tests, boasting an impressive average of 69.37 across seven matches.
With the ball, Jadeja has also been remarkable, claiming 55 wickets in 19 Tests since the beginning of 2024.
“I think in the past couple of years, the kind of form that he has shown, we always knew… playing Jaddu bhai in India is always a difficult aspect (to the opposite side). The kind of form he has shown with the bat is the reason I think he has become our number 6 batter in Test matches. I think over the past two years, he has been in tremendous form,” said Gill (via Cric Tracker).
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