IPL 2021: 3 reasons why Kedar Jadhav could start against KKR

The Indian Premier League is up and running! We have witnessed thrilling encounters in the first two matches and Sunrisers Hyderabad are all set to lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders for the third match of the season.

Both teams have undergone modest changes to their squad and have managed to retain their core. One player who was in the spotlight last season for his woeful performances was Kedar Jadhav. The 36-year-old batsman will be playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season after being bought at his base price of 2 crores.

Though he was heavily criticized for his dismal performances last season, Kedar Jadhav will look to get back into the groove this season with some blazing knocks. We take a look at the reasons why Kedar Jadhav could start for SRH against KKR in their opening match.

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#1 Kedar Jadhav has been in fine form

After having a disappointing season with Chennai Super Kings, scoring only 62 runs from eight matches, Kedar Jadhav returned to domestic cricket and proved his mettle with some scintillating performances.

Kedar Jadhav has racked up big knocks for Maharashtra in the domestic circuit which included scores of 86, 101*, 61 and 84*. With such quality knocks, Kedar Jadhav could be too good a player to warm the bench and SRH might be tempted to include him in their starting XI.

Some impressive performances in today's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy afternoon games:🔸 MB Mura Singh - 61 (33)🔸 N Jagadeesan - 61 (38)🔸 Kedar Jadhav - 61 (47)🔸 Saurabh Tiwary - 57 (33)🔸 Abdul Samad - 54* (35)🔹 L Meriwala - 5/8🔹 Harpreet Brar - 4/22(2/2) pic.twitter.com/HcmpfjBUpH

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) January 14, 2021

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#2 Kedar Jadhav could be the perfect solution for SRH's middle-order batting woes

SRH have been over-reliant on their top order batsmen to provide quickfire starts and it has disintegrated their entire batting line-up. Apart from David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson, none of the other batsmen have been consistent enough to seal the No.4 spot and make a mark in the league.

With such problems plaguing SRH's run over the past few seasons, Kedar Jadhav could be the perfect solution for SRH's batting woes. He has the ability to anchor the innings and can also start playing big shots after getting settled at the crease.

Kedar Jadhav enters the auction again and he is sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad! 🇮🇳🤩#IPL2021 #IPL #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/pgrp88oh5V

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) February 18, 2021

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#3 Kedar Jadhav could also be used as an additional spinner

Sunrisers Hyderabad are vastly known for their attacking bowling approach and are known to win matches with their bowling powerhouse. With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Rashid Khan, Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed in the squad, there has been no dearth of talented bowlers.

However, if SRH opts to go with a single spinner in the form of Rashid Khan, they may require an additional spinner who could chip in during the middle overs. Kedar Jadhav could fit perfectly into that role as well as scalp wickets.

How does Kedar Jadhav manage to pick wickets? https://t.co/JVnT0fgmOz pic.twitter.com/NGpUEfCONI

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) October 15, 2017