Ravindra Jadeja is one of cricket’s premier all-rounders. He has been in good form for India, playing an important role with the ball when the pitch turns and adding valuable runs at number six in the red-ball format. Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott heaped praise on Jadeja.

“Jadeja, he bowls beautifully; his fielding is electric, and he can bat, gets his head down and bats properly. And he is a handsome so-and-so. I met him for the first time recently,” Boycott said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.

Last year I went to India, and I met him. I said, ‘You are my favourite cricketer. ‘ He said, ‘ No way,’ and I said, ‘Definitely.’ Very handsome and a nice lad. Just a good cricketer, isn’t he? All-round cricketer,” he added.

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It is not the only isolated incident. Boycott lauded the Indian all-rounder. Last year around this time when the Indian side was on England shores, Boycott said: “I like Jadeja. I’ve always liked him; he’s always in the game. Bowls left-arm spin, and his fielding is fantastic. I’ve always thought if you can do a really great job in the team, fine, become a great player, get your runs. But another quality isn’t spoken about much,” Boycott said.

“That is, through your performance, can you lift the others? And he fields so brilliantly with such energy. And he bats. Has a smile on his face but is tough inside. He’s a top player and does everything I like about a cricketer – energy, smiles, tough underneath, and competitive,” the former English international said on the Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.

Stuart Broad’s co-host of the For the Love of Cricket podcast alongside veteran England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler reserved high praise for Jadeja too earlier in one of the shows.

“He is a nightmare to face, especially in India. With him, I think about moments, and he’s a proper gutsy player. With his batting especially, when the game was tight, he always seemed to stand up. When his team needed runs, he could do it. He had a bit of a hybrid role as well, where sometimes he would come out at 5 with the ball swinging around. He’s an underrated batter in a funny way,” said Buttler about Jadeja.

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“His numbers are phenomenal to the point where they never knew whether to play him or Ravi Ashwin in England. That’s a testament to Jadeja,” added Broad.