Donning the pink of Rajasthan Royals, Ravindra Jadeja’s emotional reunion with his former IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, ended in his side’s comfortable eight-wicket win on Monday night. While he had the wood over his former team with a fine bowling performance, Jadeja revealed that he could not catch up with his former India and CSK captain MS Dhoni in Guwahati.
After having played 200 matches for CSK and emerged as its most successful spinner over the years, Jadeja was linked in a trade with his first IPL franchise, RR, ahead of the IPL 2026 auction last December. Heading into the fixture, Jadeja revealed that he could not reconnect with his former India and CSK skipper Dhoni.
“Baat nahi hui, kyunki Mahi bhai phone band hi rakhte hain (Did not speak with Mahi bhai as he keeps his phone off),” Jadeja told the broadcasters. “Baat nahi hui, par jab bhi main milunga Mahi bhai se toh khoob saari baatein karunga (I couldn’t speak but will do a lot when I meet Mahi bhai).”
Jadeja also reflected on rejoining his boyhood franchise, with whom he won the IPL in its inaugural edition in 2008. T
“I’m liking the pink colour. The yellow had started to feel a bit old, but I’m just joking. Obviously, leaving a franchise like CSK, where I had played for 12-13 years, was a little difficult initially. It was very emotional. But I told myself that changes like these are also part of the journey,” said Jadeja.
“The good thing was that I’m now with the team where I had first won an IPL title. That memory has always stayed with me, that after the Under-19 World Cup, I started my IPL career there and won the title in my very first season. I have carried those memories along with a positive mindset, and my aim is to learn as much as I can with the new group and also share my experience with the team,” Jadeja said on Jio Hotstar.
The veteran Saurashtra all-rounder previously played two seasons for RR in 2008 and 2009, scoring 430 runs while picking up six wickets.
