"It wasn't like he was trying to prove a point" - Sanjay Manjrekar hails Ravindra Jadeja after his heroics in IPL 2023 final

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has showered praise on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ravindra Jadeja for his heroics with the bat in the IPL 2023 final on Monday, May 29. Jadeja struck 10 off two balls to dash the Gujarat Titans (GT)'s hopes of clinching consecutive titles.

After picking up the crucial wicket of Shubman Gill, Jadeja stole the show with the bat. With 10 runs required off the final two deliveries, the all-rounder struck a six and a boundary off Mohit Sharma to seal CSK's fate.

Manjrekar hailed Jadeja, pointing out that the ace all-rounder looked at peace this season. The cricketer-turned-commentator also underlined the camaraderie shared between Chennai skipper MS Dhoni and Jadeja.

"He was at peace (this season) and seemed like everything was sorted," Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo. "He was very happy. It wasn't like he was trying to prove a point. I know it's a cliche thing to say, but MS Dhoni's trust in Jadeja, he kept trusting Jadeja, with batters left-handers and right-handers. And again today when he had the option of sending somebody else, he trusted Jadeja to do it.

"You see the camaraderie as well," he added. "When he got that wicket of Shubman Gill, that little moment they had together, I think they have established a nice working relationship."

MS Dhoni has seen Ravindra Jadeja grow as a cricketer in the Indian team and at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The duo has shared innumerable memorable partnerships in international cricket and in the IPL.

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"Ravindra Jadeja has been pivotal to CSK's success" - Tom Moody

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody also spoke highly of Ravindra Jadeja after the IPL 2023 final. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that the all-rounder has been an integral part of the Chennai franchise.

"Ravindra Jadeja has been pivotal to CSK's success with both bat and ball and always in the field," Moody said in the same video. "He clearly played with a cluttered mind last year, he's thrown off course early on with the responsibility of captaincy.

"This year, we saw the best of Jadeja as a bowler," he continued. "They had their home games, so it suited him to have half his games there because he is such a master on that surface down in Chennai.

"He made valuable contributions with the bat, and tonight was a great example," he added. "He didn't play major roles with the bat, because he didn't need to a lot of the time."

Ravindra Jadeja has scored 190 runs in 16 matches this season at a strike rate of 142.06. He also picked up 20 wickets, giving away runs at an economy rate of 7.56 runs per over.