ICC World Cup 2023: Former Cricketer Feels Ravindra Jadeja Deserved Man Of The Match Award In IND vs SA Clash

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Virat Kohli was awarded the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 101 in the ICC World Cup 2023 match between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (November 6). But a former cricketer believes Ravindra Jadeja deserved the award even more.

While Kohli's record-equalling 49th ODI hundred took India to a challenging total of 326, Jadeja, who accompanied the star India batter en-route to his century with a 15-ball unbeaten 29, returned with a bowling masterclass in the second innings.

After his cameo with the bat, left-arm spinner Jadeja tormented the South African batters and ended with a five-wicket haul to bundle out the opposition for a paltry 83, the lowest by the Proteas in ODI World Cup history.

Jadeja first removed the skipper Temba Bavuma with a beauty before convincing Rohit Sharma to take DRS to dismiss the dangerous Heinrich Klaassen. He later castled David Miller and Keshav Maharaj before removing Kagiso Rabada caught and bowled.

Hosting JioCinema's daily sports show '#AAKASHVANI,' former India cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra felt the dual role played by all-rounder Jadeja was deserving of player of the match award.

"Ravindra Jadeja was all over South Africa. In my opinion, he should have been the player of the match. That's because it's simply very difficult to take five wickets in an innings," Chopra said on Aakshvani.

"How difficult? I'll give you an example. He became only the second Indian spinner to take a five-wicket haul at an ODI World Cup. More so, he got rid of the top-order batsmen and not the tail. He also scored crucial runs."

The former India opener Chopra also spoke about Kohli's batting against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on his 35th birthday, calling his knock composed and one with no ego.

"Virat Kohli played in a very composed manner because there was a time when the Indian team looked to be in a slight spot of bother. The ball was not coming on the way they would have liked to and no one was being able to score comfortably off Keshav Maharaj," Chopra added.

"That's when Shreyas Iyer and Kohli managed to put on a partnership. There was no ego in Kohli's batting. He allowed Shreyas to take over the role of the senior partner although he's the more experienced batsman. Then, Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja came along and hit at will. Kohli was content taking singles."

"He had reached 75 at the end of the 40th over and ended up scoring a run-a-ball 26 by the end of the innings. There's been some discussion around it, whether it was the right or the wrong approach. But then Kohli himself said that the message from the dressing room was that he bat till the end. So, if that was the role assigned to him, he played it to perfection."

India will face Netherlands in their final league match on November 12 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru before they get ready for the semifinal on November 15.