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Charismatic all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was on Sunday at his economical best, conceding just 30 runs in his full quota of ten overs while dismissing the dangerous Tom Latham in a high-stakes Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.
Kohli’s hug for Jadeja fuels retirement speculation
While Jadeja’s performance was praiseworthy, what truly captured the limelight was an emotional moment shared between him and Virat Kohli. After completing his spell, Jadeja received a heartfelt embrace from Kohli, igniting speculations about the all-rounder’s future in ODIs.
As soon as Jadeja bowled his final delivery and retrieved his floppy hat from the on-field umpire, Kohli approached him, wrapped him in a tight hug, and congratulated him on his exceptional spell. Given Kohli’s history of similar gestures before major retirement announcements, the moment did not go unnoticed.
After Smith now Kohli hugged Jadeja after Jaddu completed his spell 👀 pic.twitter.com/95x9C3hMur
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) March 9, 2025
Virat Kohli hugged Ravindra Jadeja after Jadeja bowled his spell 🥹🧐plz jaddu no 😭💔🥲 #SirJadeja #Jadeja #INDvsNZ #ChampionsTrophy #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/qvFNBBaHPG
— Dr.Deepak Jain (@Deepakjain1827) March 9, 2025
Notably, Kohli had previously hugged veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin moments before the latter announced his retirement. Similarly, he was seen embracing Australian batting stalwart Steve Smith after Australia’s exit from the tournament, a gesture that preceded Smith’s decision to retire from ODIs.
At 36 years old, Jadeja remains one of the prime candidates to retire from the format, with his chances of making it to the 2027 ODI World Cup appearing increasingly slim. While no official statement has been made, Kohli’s emotional send-off gesture has further fueled retirement rumors surrounding the veteran all-rounder.
Bracewell’s counterattack propels New Zealand past 250
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, New Zealand managed to post a competitive total of 251 runs, thanks to a late counterattack from Michael Bracewell. The explosive all-rounder played a crucial innings, smashing a blistering half-century that provided his team with a much-needed boost.
Daryl Mitchell was another key contributor, anchoring the innings with a well-compiled 63 runs. However, India’s bowling unit ensured that New Zealand never got out of control, with Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy leading the charge, scalping two wickets apiece.
With a chase of 252 on the horizon, India finds itself in a strong position, but with the pressure of a final, anything can happen. As the cricketing world watches on, all eyes remain on both the scoreboard and the future of one of India’s finest all-rounders.
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