NEW DELHI: One of India’s most crucial all-rounders in recent times, Ravindra Jadeja, has revealed that the two most influential figures in his cricketing journey share not just a first name, but also hail from the same state — Bihar.In a candid conversation on the podcast ‘Kutti Stories with Ash’, hosted by teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, Jadeja opened up about how both his childhood coach and his legendary mentor MS Dhoni have been central to his career.“My cricketing journey is between two Mahendras — Mahendra Singh Chauhan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Jadeja said. “I started playing in Jamnagar, at a ground called ‘Cricket Bungalow’, at the age of 8-9. My coach, who is still training at the same ground, is also from Bihar and his name is Mahendra Singh Chauhan. I have told this to Mahi bhai as well.”Jadeja recalled how Chauhan, a former police officer, laid the foundation for his athleticism and on-field agility.“He used to be a police officer, his mindset was that a sportsperson should be at the peak of his fitness. He used to believe that batting and bowling can be managed but one has to run a lot. My fitness level and fielding skills can be attributed to me running 15-20 kms around Jamnagar,” Jadeja shared.
When Ashwin asked him to describe Dhoni in a single word, Jadeja said, “There is no one word to describe his greatness. He is on top of everyone.”Both Jadeja and Ashwin played crucial roles under Dhoni — not just for Team India, but also as key bowlers for Chennai Super Kings during the team’s IPL dominance.The discussion also touched upon Virat Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain, who recently stepped away from the longest format. Jadeja lauded Kohli’s unwavering intensity and winning mindset.
“It was his positive approach — especially in Tests — the special thing about Virat is that he always wanted the team to pick 20 wickets in a Test match, so he never gives up at all. Be it a three-hour session or 45 overs left, he would still want to pick up all 10 wickets of the opposition,” Jadeja said.Kohli walked away from Test cricket with an outstanding record — 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties.
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