Ajay Jadeja named heir to Jamnagar royal throne

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja, has been named the heir to the Jamnagar royal throne in Gujarat.

Former Indian cricketer and part-Malayali Ajay Jadeja has been officially declared the new heir to the throne of the Jamnagar royal family in Gujarat. The current Maharaja of Jamnagar, Shatrusalyasinh Jadeja is the cousin of Daulatsinghji, Ajay Jadeja's father. Shatrusalyasinh, 

"The festival of Dussehra is believed to mark the day the Pandavas emerged victorious from exile. Today, on Dussehra, I am equally happy, as I have found a resolution to one of my dilemmas thanks to Ajay Jadeja, who has accepted to be my heir," Maharaja Jamsaheb, as he is popularly called, declared in a statement.

"Ajay Jadeja taking up the responsibility of serving the people of Jamnagar is truly a boon for its people. I express my sincere gratitude to him," he said.

The current Maharaja is Ajay Jadeja's father's half-brother. Ajay Jadeja's mother is from Alappuzha, Kerala. His father, Daulatsinghji is a former Congress MP from Jamnagar. Before India's independence, Nawanagar was a prominent princely state in Gujarat, now known as Jamnagar.

Ajay Jadeja was a leading batsman in the Indian cricket team. Once known as India's most dependable batsman, Jadeja was also a brilliant fielder. He comes from a family with a rich cricketing legacy. Notably, the famous Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy are named after his relatives, K.S. Ranjitsinh Jadeja and K.S. Duleepsinh.

Born on February 1, 1971, Ajay Jadeja played for India in Test and ODI formats from 1992 to 2000. Having played 15 Tests and 196 ODIs, he was banned from cricket for five years in 2000 by the BCCI due to alleged involvement in match-fixing.