How Ravindra Jadeja takes care of his mental health

From dealing with criticism to battling injuries, Ravindra Jadeja talks about everything cricket and how he keeps mental health in check

A year-and-a-half leading up to the England tour of 2018 was hard on Ravindra Jadeja. It had been over eight years since he made his international debut. His potential as an all-rounder was still in question. He wasn’t a regular in the side, especially in the limited-overs format. Between January 2017 to June 2018, Jadeja was not a part of four Tests, 25 ODIs and 22 T20s that India played. “It was one of the hardest phases of my life, I used to be awake till early morning thinking about the game. I was constantly contemplating on how to overcome my hurdles, boost my confidence, and up my game,” says Jadeja aka Jaddu from Southampton, where he is preparing for India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against the world’s top-ranked side, New Zealand. Jadeja is now an indispensable member of the team. His unbeaten 86 off 156 balls in the Oval Test of 2018 replenished his confidence. Impressive performances followed across formats. Sample: a first Test century against the West Indies in 2018, a 59-ball 77 in the 2019 World Cup semi-final (albeit in a losing cause), and a 28-ball 62 in the Indian Premier League this year.