Rumours and speculations are a daily part of Indian cricketers’ lives. Almost every day, they hear or come across things about themselves they themselves aren’t aware of. Be it Ricky Ponting using a spring in his bat, or Navjot Sidhu stabbing an umpire. From Shoaib Akhtar getting liposuction to MS Dhoni drinking five litres of milk every day, cricketers have been subjected to some of the funniest and most bizarre rumours. But the one that India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja revealed on Tuesday, on the eve of India’s Asia Cup 2022 match against Hong Kong, will leave you bamboozled.

Jadeja’s reported cut-off with Chennai Super Kings has not been the only speculative thing talked about him. While he was out injured earlier this year, there were murmurs that he may not be in Team India’s reckoning for the T20 World Cup. However, the weirdest rumour that Jadeja has heard about himself is a death hoax about him. Jadeja did not reveal when or where he came across the news but admitted it is the strangest rumour he has ever heard about himself.

The reporter asked Jadeja: “Jaddu bhai. Firstly, tell us the secret behind your success. After IPL gets over, we hear rumours that Jadeja will not play the World Cup – he has been injured for a year. After that, you return and not only play the India-Pakistan match but give India a big win. How do you handle the pressure when there are so many things being talked about you? Do you get distracted?” Then came Jadeja’s reply which left everyone stunned.

“Aap ne toh bohot choti baat kahi ki main nahi hu World Cup mein. Beech mein toh khabar aayi thi ki main marr gaya hu. Toh issey badi khabar toh ho hi nahi sakti. (You heard a very trivial rumour. Some time back I had heard that I had died. There can’t be a bigger rumour than that). So yes, I don’t think much about it. My thing is simple – heading to the ground, play well and that’s all. As far as success goes, it’s all about practicing in the nets, work on areas that need improvement and that is what works in the match. Day in, day out, the drill is same – bowling, batting and fielding,” Jadeja said during a press conference.

Jadeja, who was part of India’s victorious campaign in England – both ODIs and T20I – played two T20Is against West Indies before an injury ruled him out of the remaining matches and the Zimbabwe tour. Back in the team now, Jadeja took just one match to show what he is capable of as he scored a vital 29 and stitched a crucial partnership with Hardik Pandya that went a long way in helping India beat Pakistan by five wickets in their Asia Cup opener on Sunday.