- By Namrata Vijay
- Sat, 02 May 2026 04:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
RR vs DC IPL 2026: Ex-India spinner R Ashwin has criticized Ravindra Jadeja's cautious tactics against spin, highlighting a key weakness in his T20 performance. Since IPL 2020, Jadeja has faltered against slow deliveries, allowing rival captains to exploit their spinners in the middle overs.
From 2020 to 2025, Jadeja’s strike rate against spinners dropped to 94.28, the lowest among middle-order batters. His average against slow deliveries has shrunk to 22.22 since 2022. He struggles especially against spinners who turn the ball away, with his strike rate dipping below 100.
This pattern continued this season: just two sixes from 117 balls faced, and his boundary rate against all bowlers has declined. These figures reinforce the notion that he fails to seize opportunities in the middle overs and instead yields under pressure.
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Jadeja remains a reliable finisher against fast bowlers, but his contribution with Rajasthan this year has been subpar, especially when he was expected to anchor innings on spin-friendly pitches.
This was clear during the IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals, where Jadeja batted ahead of Donovan Ferreira but added only 20 runs off 14 balls before Mitchell Starc dismissed him.
Ashwin dissected Jadeja’s approach, saying: “Many, including coaches, have urged Jadeja to attack spinners, but he resists. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, when the Rohit Sharma-led side needed a left-hander up top, Axar Patel was chosen over Jadeja. The reason is simple: Axar attacks spinners and all bowlers confidently,” Ashwin explained on his YouTube channel.
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Ashwin also drew parallels between Jadeja and MS Dhoni, highlighting their shared tactical approach.
“Jadeja adopts a mindset similar to MS Dhoni, his longtime teammate. Both prefer to build the innings and then attack pacers,” Ashwin concluded.