Top 3 Ravindra Jadeja knocks in T20Is

Ravindra Jadeja has been one of the most valuable players for the Indian team in the longer formats of the game. Yet, in T20Is, he hadn't performed to the best of his abilities for quite a long time. But things are starting to change. The left-hander has scored 304 runs in 28 innings at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 123.

However, his batting has improved in this format in recent times. Since 2020, he has scored 141 runs in the last 6 innings at a strike rate of 172, having been dismissed only once.

The correct estimate of Ravindra Jadeja's batting ability in the shortest format can be had by looking at his best knocks. Here are his 3 best performances with the bat in T20 internationals, so far.

#3 Ravindra Jadeja's best T20I innings:

26*(19) v New Zealand, Dubai 2021

Ravindra Jadeja tried to revive India in their T20 World Cup game against New Zealand in 2021

India decided to change their strategy a bit in this must-win fixture, sending Ishan Kishan to open the batting alongside KL Rahul. The move did not work out well as Kishan got out in the 3rd over for just 4 runs. KL Rahul also got out in the powerplay for 16 runs.

This meant that Rohit and Kohli had to face an unfavorable matchup: leg-spin and left-arm orthodox spin after the field restrictions were over. They struggled to get on the ball and got out without scoring anything significant.

Jadeja walked in to bat at 70/5 after Rishabh Pant got out for just 11 in the 15th over of the innings. The Saurashtra all-rounder managed to salvage some pride with the bat in what was a match to forget for Indian fans.

Ravindra Jadeja hit 2 fours and a six in his 19-ball stay at the crease. His presence ensured that India were at least able to cross the 100 run mark. Although it was a case of 'too little, too late', Jadeja tried his best to bail out the Indian team.

India lost the match by 8 wickets with more than 6 overs to spare. This put a massive dent in their qualification hopes, and they ended up crashing out of the tournament after the group stage.

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#2 Ravindra Jadeja's best T20I innings:

45*(18) v Sri Lanka, Dharamsala 2022

Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second match of the series. India started well in the first six overs, giving away just 34 runs without taking any wickets. However, contributions from Pathum Nissanka and Dasun Shanaka meant that Sri Lanka were able to post a competitive total of 183 in this game.

In response, India didn't have the best of starts. Rohit Sharma got out early for just one. Ishan Kishan also couldn't get going. However, Shreyas Iyer (74*) and Sanju Samson (39) built a crucial partnership which ended up making things easier for Jadeja.

When Jadeja came in to bat, India still needed another 56 runs in 7 overs. He started hitting from the word go in this innings. The southpaw belted Dushmantha Chameera for 3 fours and 1 six in the 16th over of the innings, essentially finishing the game there and then. India won the match by 7 wickets with 17 balls to spare.

#1 Ravindra Jadeja's best T20I innings:

44*(23) v Australia, Canberra 2020

India lost the toss and were asked to bat first in the first match of this T20I series. Except for KL Rahul (51) and Sanju Samson (23), none of the other top order batsmen looked in good touch. Jadeja walked in to bat at 92/5 in the 14th over of the innings.

It took him a bit of time to settle in. He scored only 12 runs off his first 12 balls without any boundaries. In the 19th over, he absolutely took apart Josh Hazlewood - hitting 3 fours and 1 six in the same over. He also hit Mitchell Starc for 2 fours in the final over of the innings.

Jadeja played an absolute blinder to rescue the team. His presence ensured that India were able to cross 160 runs. They eventually won the match by 11 runs and started the T20 series on a winning note.