In a recent interaction with the Indian Express, Ravindra Jadeja was asked about his celebrations after he scored his half century in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.

The story of Ravindra Jadeja has been one of complete redemption. There was a time when Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were the two primary spin bowlers in India’s bowling arsenal. But that changed around 2017 when Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal came into the picture to take over spin-bowling duties. The addition of Hardik Pandya as allrounder also made it difficult for Jadeja to find a spot in the playing XI.
But Pandya’s injury problems made way for Jadeja to find a spot back in the team, and ever since then, he has been a consistent performer for the team across all formats.
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Jadeja was a star for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League 2021 season where he showcased his skills as batsmen, bowler, and fielder as well.
One of the biggest arcs of redemption in Jadeja’s life came during the 2019 World Cup when cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had described him as a “bits and pieces” cricketer.
But Jadeja showcased his allrounder skills in the 2019 World Cup semifinals against New Zealand, where he gave just 34 runs in his 10 overs with 1 wicket, and also was responsible for taking two catches and a run-out (Ross Taylor for 74).
With the bat, the left-hander smashed 77 runs in 59 balls and almost single-handedly won the match.
In a recent interaction with the Indian Express, Jadeja was asked about his celebrations after he scored his half century in the semifinal.
“We cant not mention the famous 2019 semi-final celebration towards Sanjay Manjrekar after the fifty! (Manjrekar had previously termed him a bits and pieces cricketer). Did you plan it? Did you know where the commentary box was?” the questioned said.
In response to the question, the India allrounder replied: “Tab toh Bhatta garam tha, na! (The grill was hot, then!) I was searching for the commentary box. Then I thought, it must be somewhere there, only. And those who understand would know who I was targeting the celebration at! (laughs).”
Meanwhile, Jadeja is set to make India return after missing out on international cricket since January due to an injury. He is expected to feature in India’s World Test Championship final against New Zealand which will take place next month.