Kedar Jadhav revealed that he is delighted to be back in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) setup for the remainder of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB named Jadhav in the team as a replacement for David Wiley, who sustained a toe injury during the ongoing IPL. Jadhav had played 17 matches for RCB in 2016 and 2017, scoring 311 runs at an average of 23.92 and a strike rate of 142.66.
“Absolutely surprised, but a pleasant one. I am very excited and want to thank the support staff for giving me this opportunity to join the team and make sure I give my 110 per cent,” Jadhav said in a video shared by RCB.
“I was doing commentary and Sanjay Bhai called me asking what I was doing. I told him I was commentating. He inquired whether I was still practising and I replied in the affirmative – twice a week, I replied. Bangar then asked me about my fitness to which I said I was regular at the gym and even using it in my hotel.
In short, I told him I was in good shape. He asked a time and said he’ll call me back. It was that moment I realized that he would call me and tell me to play for RCB,” Jadhav added.
I took a break for a year but then I realised that I was missing my passion: Jadhav
The 38-year-old batter claimed that after taking a year off, he returned to first-class cricket and discovered that he was missing his passion. He said that he was still as hungry as he was in his early 20s. Notably, he was in outstanding form during the recently concluded Ranji Trophy and hopes to replicate it for RCB.
“I took a break for a year but then I realised that I was missing my passion and when I returned to first-class cricket, I found it very easy. To be honest it was because of the experience I have. It was the same hunger I had in the early ’20s, the hunger to score big runs and that’s when I felt I can now come back and play again at all the levels and I was prepared for it, I’ve always performed well.”
