The opening match of IPL 2020 between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will be a clash of some of the biggest stars to have played in the tournament over the years. These two teams have managed to keep their core together and their clash in Abu Dhabi will be a huge one.
While there will be several players looking to stamp their class on the match, one player will be on the cusp of completing a massive record, that will put him in a league of his own. Ravindra Jadeja is just 73 runs away from completing 2000 runs in IPL. If he does that, then he will become the only all-rounder to complete the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets in IPL.
Jadeja has 108 wickets to his name, which puts him at the 10th spot in the all-time list of highest wicket-takers.
But to reach this mark, Jadeja will have to do what he has never done in his IPL career. He is the only player to aggregate more than 1500 runs in the tournament without ever getting past the 50-run mark. Part of the problem is that he bats too low down the order and often doesn’t have enough balls to face to get a big enough score.
So, it is safe to say that Jadeja’s chances of completing the milestone in the opening match against Mumbai Indians are pretty low. But he remains on the cusp of this special milestone and will complete it this season unless he has a torrid time with the bat or the CSK top order ensures he doesn’t get a lot of chances to shine with the bat.
Jadeja started his journey in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals and was part of the team that won the title in the inaugural season. His sensational move CSK led to some controversy but he has since been a part of the team’s core.
His performances under MS Dhoni’s guidance also helped him secure a place in India’s national team and he has been a key member of the Test and limited overs teams over the years.