Ravindra Jadeja has opened up about the psychological impact of batting at lower positions in the Indian team, revealing how the lack of confidence shown in his batting ability affected his morale. The all-rounder made these candid admissions during a rain break in Galle, where India was facing Sri Lanka in the first Test.
Jadeja spoke about his domestic cricket performance and the challenges he has faced at international level. Throughout his Ranji Trophy career, Jadeja maintained a batting average exceeding 60, a figure he carried into his Duleep Trophy and first-class domestic cricket.
"If you look at my entire Ranji Trophy career, my average is more than 60. Whatever Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy first-class cricket I have played domestically, my batting average is more than 60. So somewhere, I had that belief that I had that ability. But sometimes what happens is that you come into the Indian team and you don't get that batting number," Jadeja said to Sony Sports.
Domestic success versus international batting position
The all-rounder described the frustration of being relegated to the lower order despite his strong domestic record. Jadeja has batted at positions 8 and 9 for India, which meant spending extended periods in the dressing room watching faster bowlers prepare to bat ahead of him. This situation weighed heavily on his self-belief during matches.
"And sometimes the situation is such that I have batted at number 8 and 9 as well. So, when you are sitting in the dressing room with your pads on, next to you, a fast bowler is selecting a ball. So seeing all those things, my morale and my confidence would go down," Jadeja said.
The mental toll of uncertainty about when he would get to bat, combined with watching bowlers prepare to bat before him, created a challenging mindset. Jadeja explained how these moments in the dressing room led him to question the team's faith in his batting ability.
"Sometimes you think to yourself, 'I have to go and score runs. Come on, now bowling is coming. Oh man, what is this? The team doesn't even have confidence in me," Jadeja said.
Jadeja's candid admission highlights the psychological challenges faced by lower-order batters in international cricket. Despite his exceptional domestic record, the lack of consistent batting opportunities at higher positions in the Indian team affected his self-belief. Jadeja retired from T20I cricket in 2024 and continues to add value with both bat and ball in Test and ODI cricket.