Pietersen Stands by Jadeja Despite Chennai Super Kings Loss to Lucknow
In the ongoing IPL 2024 T20 cricket series, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings have had a mixed bag of results, winning four out of their first eight matches. However, their recent loss to Lucknow raised a few eyebrows, especially with regards to the performance of star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
Chennai, known for their batting prowess, set a formidable target of 211 runs in the match against Lucknow. However, Marcus Stoinis had other plans. The Lucknow batsman played a breathtaking inning, scoring an unbeaten 124 runs, leading his team to a historic victory. In doing so, Stoinis not only helped his team chase down the highest target ever at Chepauk but also became the highest scorer in IPL history in a chasing match, and against Chennai.
Despite Chennai loss, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen came out in support of Ravindra Jadeja. Pietersen, speaking on Star Sports TV, emphasized that blaming Jadeja for the defeat was unfair. He argued that Stoinis exceptional performance was the primary reason behind Lucknow victory.
“You have to give credit to Marcus Stoinis for Lucknow winning that match. Chennai did everything right. But in the end, the Chennai team was defeated by Marcus Stoinis. He single-handedly scored a mammoth century in the IPL series to win the game,” Pietersen said.
Pietersen further defended Jadeja, stating, “So you should forget to blame others for failure. Especially you should not lay hands on Ravindra Jadeja. He is a star. He is a must pick for India. That means he has played well for India and in the IPL series. So leave him alone.”
Jadeja, who batted at number 4 in the match against Lucknow, scored 16 runs off 19 balls and bowled 2 overs, conceding 16 runs without taking a wicket. Despite this, Pietersen believes Jadeja overall performance, both for India and in the IPL series, justifies his selection in the Indian team for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
With the Indian team set to be selected soon, the debate over Jadeja place in the squad continues. However, Pietersen staunch support for the all-rounder may carry weight in the final selection.
