Cricket all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja joins BJP

File pic

Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.

His wife Rivaba is a BJP legislator from Jamnagar North Assembly constituency in Gujarat since 2022. Rivaba joined BJP on March 3, 2019.

On Wednesday, Rivaba took to social media X on Thursday to inform about Jadeja's membership.

The development comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had started the membership drive for the party in Delhi on Tuesday.

Jadeja had retired from the T-20 cricket format following India's World Cup victory against South Africa in June. His retirement announcement came along with celebrated teammates Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who had bid farewell to the format just a day after clinching the T20 World Cup 2024 title. An exceptional fielder widely acknowledged on the global stage, Jadeja affirmed his commitment to continue playing One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test cricket.

"With profound gratitude, I announce my retirement from T20 internationals. Like an unwavering steed racing with pride, I have consistently given my utmost for my nation and pledge to continue doing so in other formats," expressed the 35-year-old on Instagram, accompanied by a photograph of him clutching the prestigious T20 World Cup 2024 trophy. "The T20 World Cup victory stands as a fulfillment of a dream, marking the zenith of my T20 International career. I am indebted for the memories, the applause, and the steadfast support. Jai Hind," he added, reflecting on his journey.

Having debuted in T20Is against Sri Lanka in the distant year of 2009, Jadeja featured in 74 matches, amassing 515 runs and capturing 54 crucial wickets. The pinnacle of this chapter arrived in the title clash of the T20 World Cup in Barbados, where India clinched a thrilling victory over South Africa by a margin of seven runs, securing their second triumph in the history of the tournament.

The euphoria of this victory was swiftly followed by the retirement announcements of Rohit and Kohli from T20 Internationals. Jadeja, a stalwart servant of Indian cricket for over fifteen years, had encountered a patch of indifferent form in the recently concluded World Cup, yet his contributions over the years have been pivotal to the team's success.