IND vs SL: Ravindra Jadeja on cusp of becoming 1st Asian cricketer to achieve this mighty feat in Colombo

India's veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is on verge of becoming first-ever Asian cricketer to play 50 WTC matches. The second Test against Sri Lanka, will mark his 50th WTC match

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India's veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in this frame. (Getty)

India's veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in this frame. (Getty)

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Ravindra Jadeja will script history the moment he steps on the ground to play 2nd Test against Sri Lanka

The second Test between India and Sri Lanka will start from August 23

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is poised to make history at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo during the second Test against Sri Lanka. As the world's top-ranked Test all-rounder takes the field on Sunday, August 23, he will cement his status as the cornerstone of India's red-ball squad by becoming the first Indian player to reach 50 World Test Championship appearances.

Ravindra Jadeja set to become first Asian cricketer to play 50 WTC matches:

The milestone caps an exceptional run in the WTC format for the 37-year-old Jamnagar native. Across his previous 49 matches, Jadeja has been a masterclass in balance, compiling 2,632 runs alongside 160 wickets. He enters the historic fixture in sharp form, having already claimed four wickets, including a three-wicket burst in the first innings—to help secure India's victory in Galle.

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Following Jadeja on India’s all-time WTC appearance leaderboard are Virat Kohli and speedster Mohammed Siraj, who currently share second place with 46 matches apiece. Should Siraj feature in the final lineup for the upcoming Test in Colombo, he will break that tie and claim sole possession of second place with 47 caps.

Indian cricketers with most WTC matches:

Player Matches Runs Wickets
Ravindra Jadeja 49 2,632 160
Virat Kohli 46 2,617 0
Mohammed Siraj 46 167 141
Jasprit Bumrah 42 334 185
Ravichandran Ashwin 41 1,142 195
Rishabh Pant 41 2,885 0
Shubman Gill 41 2,867 0
Rohit Sharma 40 2,716 0
Cheteshwar Pujara 35 1,769 0
KL Rahul 34 2,265 0

At the international level, the benchmark for durability belongs to England skipper Joe Root, who leads all players with 78 WTC appearances. Root—the premier run-getter in the competition's history, is part of an exclusive club, as only 11 cricketers globally have reached the 50-match threshold in the World Test Championship to date.

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Cricketers with most WTC matches (overall):

Player Country Matches
Joe Root England 78
Ben Stokes England 64
Steve Smith Australia 61
Marnus Labuschagne Australia 60
Travis Head Australia 59
Zak Crawley England 57
Nathan Lyon Australia 57
Mitchell Starc Australia 56
Pat Cummins Australia 54
Ollie Pope England 54
Alex Carey Australia 50
Ravindra Jadeja India 49

Taking the field in Colombo will make Ravindra Jadeja the very first Asian player to hit the 50-match milestone in World Test Championship history. Alongside that landmark, the second Test against Sri Lanka offers the veteran all-rounder two major away-soil achievements. Sitting on 96 foreign dismissals from 37 Tests, Jadeja is just four wickets away from becoming the latest Indian bowler to claim 100 Test scalps on tour. His bat could make history in foreign conditions as well. With 1,885 runs across 62 away innings, a strong showing in Colombo, specifically a total of 115 runs, would elevate Jadeja into the 2,000-run club in matches played outside India.

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