England’s legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott recently spoke to Michael Vaughan, with the latter asking him to name his favourite modern-day cricketer, giving the options of the Fab Four – Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith. However, Boycott surprised the former English captain. He ignored the names of four batting greats and instead took India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s name. His choice was out of the box, but he gave reasons behind going with Jadeja’s name.
According to him, Jadeja has everything that needs to be present in a modern cricketer. He is a good batter, quality bowler and a superb fielder. Boycott called him a complete all-rounder.
“Jadeja? Oh, I love Jadeja as well. He bowls beautifully, his fielding is electric, and he can bat. He gets his head down and can bat properly. And he’s a handsome so-and-so,” Boycott said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
“He bowls beautifully and gets his head down when he bats.” 💪
Who is Sir Geoffrey’s favourite modern cricketer? 🤔 🏏 pic.twitter.com/qctCafvKpy
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) September 1, 2026
“I met him for the first time recently. Was it last year when I went to India? I met him, I remember. I just watched, and I said, ‘ You are my favourite cricketer. He said no way. I said definitely. He’s very handsome, isn’t he? A nice lad, yeah, and just a good cricketer, isn’t he? All-round cricketer,” Boycott added.
Jadeja’s impressive numbers
Jadeja has been impressive in international cricket. In 91 Tests, the southpaw has scored 4,160 runs, including six hundreds and 28 fifties, while also claiming 356 wickets at an average of 25.30. He is among a few cricketers who have amassed over 4,000 runs and more than 350 wickets in the longest format of the game.
He has been a consistent performer for the Indian National Cricket Team. During India’s tour of England in 2025, he smashed five consecutive half-centuries and accumulated 517 runs, which helped the team draw the five-match series.
When it comes to fielding, he is among the top three fielders in world cricket. He gives his best in all parts of the ground, and his powerful throwing arm has led to several run-outs. Jadeja has taken 50 catches in Test cricket, 79 in ODIs and 28 in T20Is.
He was last seen in action in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. He has retired from the shortest format and is not considered in the fifty-over format. Jadeja only plays Test cricket and will next be seen on the field in the upcoming two red-ball games in New Zealand. Ravindra will play a crucial role, and his contributions will impact the outcome of the bilateral assignment.