Veteran India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said he was in for a surprise when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Test squad for the West Indies series that marked the beginning of the 2025-26 home season in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Speaking ahead of the first Test, the 37-year-old Jadeja said the team management had not previously told him about being named a deputy to skipper Shubman Gill for the series. "They didn't say anything to me. They just announced the team and I saw that besides my name the VC is written, so I was very happy. And as a player, you always gain confidence whenever you see some kind of gesture from the management, captain and coach. At the end of the day, you are always happy to do good and share your experience with the team," Jadeja told bcci.tv in a video interaction. Jadeja was elevated to the position after regular vice-captain Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the series as he continues his rehab from the toe fracture he suffered in England earlier this year. Mr. Consistent "It's very special for me as a player. They gave me respect because the management, captain, and coach have decided to give me some extra responsibility. I am very happy to do it and whenever the team needed my experience and needed me to say anything regarding planning, I am always happy to do it." The left-handed all-rounder has been among India's most consistent performers with the bat, especially in overseas Tests, in the last few years. Jadeja also totalled his first 500-plus run series in England when India levelled the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy two-all. Captain Gill recently hailed Jadeja's contributions and said: "I think in the past couple of years, the kind of form that he has shown, we always knew… playing Jaddu bhai in India is always a difficult aspect (to the opposite side). The kind of form he has shown with the bat is the reason I think he has become our number 6 batter in Test matches. I think over the past two years, he has been in tremendous form," Averaging nearly 70 with the bat across seven matches this year, Jadeja has also picked up 55 wickets since the start of 2024 in the longest format.
