Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concern over Ravindra Jadeja’s cautious approach against spin, highlighting a long-standing problem in his T20 game.Since the 2020 IPL season, Jadeja has struggled for pace against slower bowlers, often allowing opposition captains to use spin as a containment strategy during the middle overs. Between 2020 and 2025, his strike rate against spin hovered around 94.28, the lowest for a regular middle-order batsman, while against slower bowling since 2018 he has averaged just 21.22. His struggles are particularly evident against spinners who turn the ball away from him, where his strike rate is under 10.This trend continues in IPL 2026 as well. Jadeja has hit just two sixes in 117 balls so far this season, and his boundary percentage against all types of bowling is low. These numbers reinforce the idea that he is not trying to dominate the middle overs but is absorbing the pressure.While Jadeja remains a reliable finisher against the pacers, his role for Rajasthan Royals this season looks more passive, with the responsibility of stabilizing the innings during the spin-filled phases rather than taking it to the bowlers. This approach was evident in yesterday’s clash against Delhi Capitals, where Jadeja was promoted ahead of Donovan Ferreira but failed to make a significant impact. He scored 20 off 14 balls before Mitchell Starc was dismissed.Ashwin was candid in his assessment:“Many people, including the coach, have talked to Ravindra Jadeja about taking spinners more aggressively, but he is not listening. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, whenever India needed a left-handed batsman, they chose Axar Patel over the more experienced Jadeja. The reason is very simple, Aksar does not hesitate. He takes the spinners and every other bowler with confidence,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash. Ashwin also drew comparisons between Jadeja and MS Dhoni, suggesting a shared mindset.This mindset of Ravindra Jadeja is similar to that of MS Dhoni, with whom he has spent many years in the Indian team. Both prefer to take the game deep and target the fast bowlers,” added Ashwin.
