MS Dhoni congratulates Ravindra Jadeja after the six. | Photo Credit: AP

Normally Ravindra Jadeja is not known in international cricket as a fierce striker of the ball but on Thursday night he produced made his bat talk. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) needed 18 runs off 6 balls to win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 25 of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But Jadeja eased CSK’s nerves when he smashed Ben Stokes for a six on the very first ball of the last over. Stokes had pitched the ball well outside off but a misbalanced Jadeja managed to pocket the ball into the stands with an incredible helicopter shot.

Ironically, MS Dhoni (inverter of the helicopter shot) was at the non-striker's end. It eventually led to CSK winning the match on the last ball of the contest. Jadeja, after the match, revealed it was Dhoni who had adviced him that Stokes would pitch the ball outside the off-stump. And Jadeja utilized Dhoni’s advice to the fullest.

“Dhoni told me that Stokes will bowl outside the off-stump and full and I was standing on the off stump prepared for that. But he bowled it a little wide and I had to connect that shot because I had no other choice. But I was sure that ball had hit the middle of the bat and luckily it worked out well,” Jadeja told teammate Mitchell Santner in a chat for iplt20.com after the match.

Jadeja had also broken a big record in the IPL. He became the 13th bowler and the first left-arm spinner to take 100 wickets in the history of the IPL when he dismissed Australian Steve Smith. The left-arm spinner expressed his happiness at achieving the feat while contributing to his team’s victory.

“It feels great to have taken 100 wickets in the T20 format and I am very confident right now. I am enjoying both my bowling and batting and I am able to contributing to my team.”

After Dhoni’s dismissal, CSK needed two runs off the last ball to win. Now it was Jadeja’s turn to advise Santner that Stokes would bowl it a little wide so he should jump a little across. And the advice worked as Santner hit the ball out of the park to get CSK to victory.

“You (Jadeja) told me to jump across and I did and that helped get the boys home. It is nice to be five wins from six games,” Santner told Jadeja.