The rising star: Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav is a smart cricketer

With India completing a 3-0 whitewash in Zimbabwe, it was Kedar Jadhav who stole the limelight with his brilliant century at Harare. Coming in to bat at 82-4, he made full use of the given opportunity and smashed 105 runs from 87 balls which included 12 fours and a six.

What came next, was the defining moment. After reaching his maiden ODI century, Jadhav first punched his fists in the air as a part of traditional celebration and then was seen doing a belt-jiggling dance step similar to that of Salman Khan in the film Dabangg. The celebration was a reflection of his happiness and excitement and clearly showed the hard work and dedication put in by him to reach that stage.

Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Kedar Mahadev Jadhav is a right-handed middle order batsman and a part time off break bowler. He is known for his aggressive batting and clean hitting which makes him one of the finest contenders who can be successful in short formats of the game.

Jadhav is a smart thinking and innovative batsman who plays unorthodox cricket by inventing new and different shots. His ability to shift gears and play according to the situation makes him a very good middle order batsman.

His exemplary show on the off-side has been praised by many cricket experts. With team India in dire need of a dependable middle order batsman, Jadhav looks the best to occupy that spot. He possesses a wide range of shots and could be helpful in stabilizing the momentum of the team.

What makes Jadhav different from his competing counterparts is his approach towards the game. Aggressive by nature, he is technically sound and is a master class when it comes to picking up gaps. This gives him an additional advantage of playing effectively in different and tough conditions.

Jadhav has consistently performed well in the domestic circuit across all formats of the game. He made his Ranji debut with Maharashtra in the 2007-08 season. He performed brilliantly in the 2009-10 season with six fifties and a century. It was after his this performance that he was rated as a natural attacking and a T20 player which earned him a cap for Delhi Daredevils in the 2010 season of the Indian Premier League.

He made his mark by smashing a fifty on debut and winning the Man-of-the-Match award. He continued his good run at the Ranji Trophy and recorded 1223 runs in 11 matches with six centuries and two fifties at an average of 87.35 which made him the highest run getter of the 2013-2014 season. His performance was applauded and he soon got a national call in 2014.

International debut

Despite his good show in the domestic circuit, he has been struggling to find his place in the Indian team. Jadhav played his first international match against Sri Lanka in November 2014 where he had a decent outing. He was dropped after the series which restricted his chances to showcase his talent.

It was in July 2015 when BCCI decided to send India A team for the Zimbabwe tour that got Jadhav the much-required opportunity. Jadhav’s selection into the team for the Zimbabwe tour provided him ample opportunities to modify his career which has been in trouble for long.

Jadhav had decent outings in the first two matches but he was guided by his luck in the third ODI where he smashed a brilliant century to take his team to a respectable total of 276-5 after they were struggling for 82-4.

His innings depicted his class and was a reflection of his ability to remain calm in difficult situations. It showed his intensity as a team player and proves his worth as a smart and talented cricketer. On a slow track in Harare where other batsman failed to time the ball, Jadhav played intelligently by playing the ball late and with minimum risks.

With competition tough between him, Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa, BCCI has a tough task ahead regarding the selections. But Jadhav is certainly confident and satisfied after his performance.

"Whoever is the best, the selectors will pick. As far as this opportunity, Manish, me, Manoj and Robin got a good opportunity here. Luckily I converted into a hundred so I'm happy for myself,” said Jadhav.