Sunil Gavaskar has strongly defended Ravindra Jadeja amidst growing concerns over his form in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. Despite Jadeja's underwhelming performance, where he has only managed 16 runs at an average of 8 and a strike rate of 145.45, and taken just one wicket with an economy rate of 7.80, Gavaskar believes Jadeja's overall contributions to the team remain invaluable.
In the match against Australia on June 24, Jadeja scored an unbeaten 9 off 5 balls and bowled just one over, during which Glenn Maxwell aggressively targeted him. Gavaskar, however, emphasised that Jadeja’s past performances, experience, and exceptional fielding skills are crucial for the team.
"I am not at all concerned as he is very experienced. For whatever opportunities he's got, he's done well. And don't forget, in the field itself, he saved 20 to 30 runs with his fielding ability, taking catches, and getting the run out. So don't forget those 20-30 plus runs. Then he enters the field, with anything that he does with the bat and ball is an added value to his ability," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Gavaskar stressed that Jadeja should not be judged harshly after a couple of poor games. He pointed out that fans and critics often do not consider their own errors in their professions when questioning athletes. Gavaskar also highlighted Jadeja's significant impact on the game through his fielding, aside from his contributions with the bat and ball.
"The problem with India and Indian fans is, 2 bad games, and you go 'what to do with him, what to do with him?'. You know, that is the worry. Nobody who asks these questions even thinks about their own professions, whether they have made 2 errors and whether people are questioning their place in their own profession, whichever profession they are. This is just simply a good topic for television, you don't question Jadeja's place in the playing XI. He's a rock star," Gavaskar added.
India secured their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after defeating Australia by 24 runs, with Rohit Sharma earning the Player of the Match award for his 92-run knock under pressure. In the semi-final, India will face Jos Buttler’s England at the Providence Stadium.