IPL 2026: Returning where I started my journey, says Ravindra Jadeja on Rajasthan Royals homecoming

Ravindra Jadeja says his return to Rajasthan Royals after fifteen years feels like a sentimental full circle, taking him back to the franchise and the city where his cricketing identity first took shape. For the all-rounder, the move is more than a professional shift — it is a homecoming to the place where he arrived in the IPL as a teenager and earned the nickname that has stayed with him ever since.

“I am back in Rajasthan after fifteen years, so I feel good returning to the place where I started my journey and where I got the name Rockstar. I am doubly happy to come back to the same place,” Jadeja said, reflecting on his long-awaited reunion with the franchise.

At this stage of his career, Jadeja said he is driven as much by enjoyment as



competition. “Right now, I am at a stage where I want to enjoy my cricket. Whoever calls me with love, from the heart and with respect — I will always like it.”

Jadeja’s move back to Royals began with a call from the co-owner, Manoj Badale, followed by a conversation with Kumar Sangakkara. Both informed him of a possible trade, and from that moment, the decision felt instinctive.

“The first thought that came to my mind was to return to the team where my journey started, where I got my name and where I began as Ravindra Jadeja the cricketer,” he said. He is also looking forward to working closely with the younger Indian core, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag — players he has seen from close quarters over the years.