NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings all-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja
found himself at the centre of criticism following his below-par outing against Lucknow Super Giants at Chepauk on Tuesday.
However, Jadeja received staunch backing from former England captain
Kevin Pietersen
, who strongly rebuked his critics following CSK's loss to LSG.
Jadeja faced difficulties finding rhythm with the bat, managing only 16 runs from 19 balls.
Additionally, he proved ineffective with the ball, conceding 16 runs from 2 overs without taking any wickets. Pietersen echoed Michael Clarke's stance on Star Sports, refraining from criticizing the CSK all-rounder.
Pietersen praised
Marcus Stoinis
for his remarkable performance against CSK. He acknowledged that the Australian all-rounder's innings was crucial in the match, and Chennai put up a valiant effort in their attempt to chase down the target.
Pietersen also stated that no one should criticize the Indian all-rounder for his efforts in the game. He described Jadeja as an "absolute star" and emphasized his importance to the Indian team, considering him one of the first names on the team sheet.
"You're 100% right. Also, what you've got to do is you've got to give credit to Marcus Stoinis."
"Chennai did everything right. Last night, they got beaten by Marcus Stoinis. It was him in a stand alone scoring one of the great hundreds of the IPL. So forget pointing your fingers. You cannot point a finger at Ravindra Jadeja like I am not having it at all."
"Absolutely not. That guy is an absolute star. He's one of the first picks for India. I mean, what he's done in the IPL for India. Leave the guy alone. Stoinis beat the Yellow Army yesterday," said Pietersen.
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