Not many cricket awards have been dedicated to an education minister. But Rivaba Jadeja is not just any minister: she is Ravindra Jadeja’s wife, and when the all-rounder chose to honour her after steering Rajasthan Royals to victory, the moment was as personal as it was public.
Rivaba serves as Gujarat’s Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Adult Education. She was appointed during a cabinet reshuffle led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. Jadeja has been openly supportive of her political career. He had campaigned for her during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, in which she won from the Jamnagar North constituency.
At the post-match presentation, Jadeja said he felt good about winning the Man of the Match award. He said Rivaba had told him the previous day that he would perform well — and he had.
The win over Lucknow Super Giants was hard-earned. RR had slipped to 77-5 in 10.2 overs. Jadeja was at the crease alongside Donovan Ferreira, with little batting left. The two put on a 33-run partnership to steady the innings. After Ferreira’s dismissal, Jadeja took charge and scored an unbeaten 43, lifting RR to 159/6.
It was a below-par total. But the bowlers made it count. Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma combined to bowl out LSG for 119. RR won by 40 runs. Jadeja also chipped in with the ball, picking up a wicket for 29 runs in four overs.
The victory moved RR to second on the points table, with five wins and two defeats. A playoff berth looks all but certain unless the team hits a losing run. However, RR will be keen to finish in the top two and cannot afford to be complacent.
Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja Denies Father’s Allegations, Defends Wife on Social Media https://www.vibesofindia.com/ravindra-jadeja-denies-fathers-allegations-defends-wife-on-social-media/
