“I am an all-rounder. I bat in the middle order and I am a medium pacer. I usually bat at number 6 or 7. I got a golden chance to bat at No.3 for the very first time in my career and I scored 235 runs in 373 balls against Odisha," Jani had said after last week's exploits. (Twitter)Bhavnagar-born Chirag Jani is going through a purple patch. A week after scoring his maiden double hundred against Odisha in the Ranji Trophy, the Saurashtra batsman made a century (140) against Goa. Jani was asked to bat at No.3 for the first time and made the opportunity count in the previous round. He seems to be comfortable in his new batting position as his century on Thursday came when batting at one down.
“I am an all-rounder. I bat in the middle order and I am a medium pacer. I usually bat at number 6 or 7. I got a golden chance to bat at No.3 for the very first time in my career and I scored 235 runs in 373 balls against Odisha,” Jani had told this paper after last week’s exploits.
In the 2019-20 Ranji season, Saurashtra won the Ranji trophy and Jani played a crucial role with 544 runs and 17 wickets in the tournament.
Chirag said he was open to being flexible when it comes to his role in the batting order. “My approach towards batting is very simple. I bat according to the conditions and what the team needs. I can tonk the ball if needed, I can grind it out at the wicket.”
DO NOT MISS: Chirag Jani’s splendid knock 👌 👌
The Saurashtra right-hander hit 3⃣3⃣ fours & 4⃣ sixes and scored 2⃣3⃣5⃣ against Odisha. 👏 👏 #RanjiTrophy | #SAUvODI | @saucricket | @Paytm
A snippet of his innings 🎥 🔽 pic.twitter.com/Dv0gTlxPyE
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 26, 2022
Saurashtra’s stalwart Sheldon Jackson has played a crucial role in shaping Jani’s career. Jackson, with 5,722 runs in 77 First-Class games, has been a source of support for Jani.
“He supported me when I was going through a rough patch. There have been ups and downs, I got injured twice and I think it’s a part of your journey. You have to overcome it. Sheldon has always encouraged me to give my best. I am happy for him as he is part of IPL 2022”.
Jani works for the postal service now. His cricketing journey is a testament to his hard work.
Jani works for the postal service now. His cricketing journey is a testament to his hard work. Being from a humble background, it was very difficult for him to play the sport. He wishes he had an IPL contract.
“I started playing cricket from my school days. I lived in Bhavnagar. There were no turf wickets or grounds so I used to practice on the cemented wicket. And from there on my journey started. I played in school and after that, I gave a trial for U-17 in Bhavnagar.”
He also added, “ I performed well in the trials so I got selected in the squad. I played well in the practice matches so I got picked for the Bhavnagar team. So from there, my professional journey started. I played in district matches. Then I played U-17, U-19, U-23, U-25, and then first-class cricket.
Chirag’s father has always supported him in his career. His mother was against him playing cricket but when she saw her son’s picture in the newspaper, she started supporting him.
“My father is a policeman and my mother is a housewife. She didn’t like seeing me playing cricket but still, I used to manage to get out of the house and play cricket. My father was very supportive of me.”
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
4 min read
