Before the IPL started, Ravindra Jadeja was all over the ground. He’d bat with freedom, find boundaries with ease, learnt to play smart and looked a complete package with the bat. With the ball he kept bowling his consistent lines to choke batters, and his exploits in the field need no description.

With Ravindra Jadeja in prime form, the moment seemed perfect for him to take over as captain of the Chennai Super Kings. He seemed the best candidate as he was a part of the franchise for a very long time. Joining the franchise in 2012, Ravindra Jadeja knows better than anyone how the franchise operates, and what its nature is.

Seven games in though, Ravindra Jadeja has looked off color, and is struggling this season. When he came into the tournament he was in brilliant form and looked set to bring the tournament alive on his own, but his spark has been missing.  He ran Ambati Rayudu out in the opener after calling him for a single, and that is where the nervousness of Jadeja was on display. Seven games later Ravindra Jadeja has two ducks and a highest score of 26. He has struggled with the bat, and isn’t finding the boundary with usual ease, barring the final over against Gujarat when he finished with two sixes.

With the ball, Ravindra Jadeja seems to be underusing himself. He isn’t looking to bowl his full quota and has struggled to pick wickets as well. He took three against Bangalore, while dismissing Glenn Maxwell, but that was probably his best with the ball this season. He has been rather defensive when it comes to bowling himself and Moeen Ali, and that has left him with fewer options and less flexibility. The presence of Theekshana is now easing the burden on spin bowling though, and hopefully can initiate a change as Chennai Super Kings enter the second half of their tournament.

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While his bowling and batting are both dropping, his presence in the field is another concern. Although he is the skipper, Ravindra Jadeja is often silent in the field, and seems to have less attention on him than when he was a player. The likes of Dhoni and Bravo are calling the shots more often than not, while Ravindra Jadeja is seen in the outfield.

His fielding is normally the strongest aspect in his game. He is famous for his pinpoint throws to the stump, and blinders in the field, but this season that spark has been absent. He has dropped a few catches which is very uncharacteristic of Ravindra Jadeja, and is often found in different positions rather than his preferred spot at point.

With Chennai Super Kings struggling at four points in seven games, they need a lot from their skipper. He came in with a huge role as a player and then as a captain. Expected to save the team in tough times, Ravindra Jadeja is struggling to bring his exploits from the past two years. With seven games to go, and CSK finally getting a couple of wins, he will need to find a way to get back his old spark.

With the pressure of captaincy getting to him though, that seems tough as Ravindra Jadeja continues to find his way in IPL 2022. His form has dipped drastically after a wonderful month with the Indian team and a glorious period before his knee injury. With Jadeja struggling, and likely to face tougher moments this season, one can only hope that his IPL form doesn’t affect his confidence and make him drop down as a player, as he can be a valuable asset to any team with the skillset he offers.