IPL 2022: Top 3 Ravindra Jadeja knocks in the IPL

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first game of Saturday's double-header. The match will be followed by another intriguing IPL 2022 fixture between Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The CSK-SRH match will take place at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Both teams are yet to win a game in IPL 2022 and will be eager to get off the mark today. While SRH's Kane Williamson is a seasoned skipper, the same cannot be said for the Men in Yellow.

Newly-appointed captain Ravindra Jadeja is still finding his feet in this edition of the league. The southpaw will be eager to prove his leadership skills and help CSK to their first win of the season at the expense of SRH. Although he is new to the captaincy role, he knows the team inside out. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of the franchise over the years, is just 35 runs short of amassing 3,000 runs in T20 cricket and need 71 more runs to hit 2,500 IPL runs.

On that note, let's take a look at three of Jadeja's best batting performances in the IPL.

---

#1 38*(20) - CSK vs RCB in IPL 2013

CLT20 2012 Match 7 - Chennai Super Kings v Highveld Lions

The 16th match of IPL 2013 ranks as one of the most interesting games in IPL history. CSK were playing RCB at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Bangalore, who were asked to bat first, opened with Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. Following Gayle's early dismissal, Virat Kohli walked out to bat and anchored the innings brilliantly from one end. When AB de Villiers joined him at the crease, the duo had a strong partnership going. The South African legend's 64 off 32 balls helped RCB post 165/6 in 20 overs.

In reply, CSK openers Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay were both dismissed for under 10 runs. Chennai's middle order comprising Suresh Raina, S. Badrinath and MS Dhoni each scored over 30 runs, but RCB were still in the driver's seat.

Jadeja held the fort from the other end but had no support. With 16 runs needed off the last over, the southpaw had no option but to go for it. RP Singh bowled a bouncer in the very first ball, but Jadeja slashed it for a boundary. The southpaw hit the next delivery for a maximum over long on. With two runs needed off the last ball, RP Singh bowled another bouncer.

Jadeja was caught by the third-man and RCB started celebrating. Bangalore soon realized their celebrations were premature as they saw the umpire signaling a no-ball. CSK won the game as they took a single off the no-ball and Jadeja was adjufged the Player of the Match.

---

#2 31*(11) - CSK vs KKR in IPL 2020

IPL Qualifier - Chennai v Delhi

Ravindra Jadeja's batting has helped CSK cross the line on multiple occasions and the 49th match of IPL 2020 was one such occasion. CSK and KKR met at the Dubai International Stadium and Kolkata were asked to bat first. With the help of Nitish Rana's 87 (61) KKR were able to post a total of 172/5.

CSK's opening pair of Shane Watson and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched together a 50-run run. Following Watson's dismissal, Gaikwad continued and went on to score 72 off 53 balls. Jadeja felt like Chennai's only hope when he walked in at 146-4.

He started going after Lockie Ferguson, scoring 20 runs off the New Zealand pacer's over. With 10 required off the final over, Jadeja closed the game by hitting two consecutive sixes off the last two balls. Having hit two boundaries and three sixes under pressure, Jadeja scored a match-winning 31*(11).

---

#3 62*(28) - CSK vs RCB in IPL 2021

CLT20 2012 Match 7 - Chennai Super Kings v Highveld Lions

One of Jadeja's best performances in the shortest format came in the 19th game of IPL 2021 when CSK faced RCB at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Chennai won the toss and decided to bat. In-form openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis stitched together a partnership in excess of 70 runs before the young Indian batter's dismissal.

Du Plessis also got out after scoring a fifty as CSK's upper-middle order looked under pressure. Only when Ravindra Jadeja was promoted ahead of skipper MSD, the opposition began to feel the heat.

Jadeja, who started slowly, ultimately displayed some monstrous hitting, scoring and an unbeaten 62 off just 28 balls, including four fours and five sixes. He also thrashed Harshal Patel for the most expensive over bowled in the history of the IPL. Patel went for 37 runs in the last over!.

With a target of 192 in sight, captain Virat Kohli walked out with Devdutt Padikkal. They put up a 44-run stand when Kohli was dismissed. Just when RCB thought Jadeja couldn't do any more damage, he was handed the ball. The southpaw dismissed Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers before they could even settle. He also topped it off by running out Dan Christian with a brilliant single-handed throw.

Jadeja uprooted all hopes of RCB winning that game as they could only manage 122/9. He was unsurprisingly named the Player of the Match.